Man who stole Lady Gaga's dogs is sentenced

James Howard Jackson and two other men attacked dog walker Ryan Fischer on a Hollywood street in February 2021. After the confrontation, they took two of Lady Gaga's three pets.

Fischer suffered a chest wound during the robbery. A month after the attack, he revealed on Instagram that he had suffered a collapsed lung.

Jackson, who is 20, dropped his appeal after prosecutors agreed to drop additional charges of robbery and assault, among others.

“The agreement holds Jackson accountable for committing an act of cold-blooded violence and brings justice to our victim,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

The other two attackers are in prison for their participation in the crime.

After dogs Koji and Gustav were stolen, Lady Gaga offered a $500 reward to get them back.

A woman who handed over the dogs in exchange for the reward was charged with complicity in the crime and receiving stolen goods.

Miss Asia, the singer's other dog, escaped being taken and ran to Fischer, injured and lying on the ground, after the assailants left.

Jackson was in the custody of authorities. This year he was released due to an “administrative error”, but arrested shortly afterwards.

Los Angeles police said the dogs were stolen because of their market value and not because they belonged to the singer.

Small and friendly and therefore easy to capture, French bulldogs are rare.

The relative scarcity and association with stars such as Lady Gaga, Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Jackman, Chrissy Teigen, Leonardo DiCaprio and Madonna give this dog breed additional prestige, increasing the price on the market.

(With AFP)