Lady Gaga dognapping: 5 suspects arrested for robbery, attempted murder of dog walker
Source: Instagram
LOS ANGELES - Multiple people involved in the violent dognapping of Lady Gaga’s French bulldogs and the shooting of her dogwalker have been arrested, officials said Thursday.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the five suspects are facing attempted murder and robbery charges.
The suspects have been identified as 18-year-old James Jackson, 19-year-old Jaylin White, 27-year-old Lafayette Whaley, 40-year-old Harold White, and 50-year-old Jennifer McBride.
All 5 suspects where in court Thursday and pled not guilty.
Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.
On February 24, Lady Gaga's dog walker, Ryan Fischer, was shot while walking her three dogs in Hollywood.
Dramatic surveillance video from a nearby house shows a white sedan pull up next to Fischer and two suspects get out of the backseat and attempt to take the dogs. But Fischer fought back. He was heard calling out for help as one suspect yelled "give it up." The suspect then fired his gun hitting Fischer. The car then fled away.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Lady Gaga's two stolen French bulldogs safely reunited with singer's representatives
- Lady Gaga dognapping: Surveillance video shows violent shooting of dog walker
- Lady Gaga’s dog walker shot, 2 French bulldogs stolen in Hollywood; $500K reward offered
- Lady Gaga's dog walker Ryan Fischer speaks out for first time since Hollywood shooting
- Lady Gaga's two stolen French bulldogs safely reunited with singer's representatives
The suspects drove off from the scene with two of her dogs -- Koji and Gustav -- and a third dog ran away.
The third dog was eventually recovered safely by police that same night.
Fischer was hospitalized for weeks after being shot twice, once in the back and once in the neck.
Two days after the robbery, LAPD said a woman dropped off the two stolen dogs at the department's Olympic Station after finding them. Lady Gaga was offering a $500,000 reward for their safe return. However, it was soon determined that the woman who dropped off the dogs, later identified as Jennifer McBride, was involved in the initial crime.
Detectives say McBride had a relationship with the father of one of the suspects, Harold White. Both were determined to be accessories of the crime.
Detectives do not believe the suspects were targeting the victim. But according to the police department, evidence suggests the suspects knew the value of the breed of dogs and that was the motivation for the robbery.
James Jackson, Jaylin White, Lafayette Whaley, and Harold White are all documented gang members from Los Angeles. Bail for the shooter, James Jackson, has been set to $3 million.
Lady Gaga was in Rome at the time of the armed robbery.