Close to two months have passed since a violent attack on Lady Gaga's dog walker occurred and now police have identified and charged five people, including a woman who actually attempted to cash out on a $500k dollar reward for the safe return of Gaga's french bulldogs.
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón made a statement regarding the February 24th incident describing it as "a brazen street crime that left a man seriously wounded". LAPD are also indicating that the perpetrators were not necessarily targeting Lady Gaga per say however gave motive based on the high resale value of the breed.
Lady Gaga Signs 2 Year Deal With Dom Pérignon, 'The Queendom'
While only days after the superstar tweeted that the stolen pups belonged to her and she is willing to reward $500k for their safe return, they were returned by a woman named Jennifer McBride, 50, who claimed she had randomly found the dogs tied up in an abandoned alley. Police had initially busted three men who were found to be previously identified gang members. 27-year-old Lafayette Whaley, 18-year-old James Jackson and 19-year-old Jaylin White were among the first round-up of violators however upon further investigation, had help from Harold White who is Jaylin White's father and his closely related associate Jennifer McBride.
According to The Washington Post, the terrifying robbery happened while Lady Gaga was filming in Italy. At about 9:40 p.m. the evening of the incident, Gaga's dog walker, Ryan Fischer was on duty taking the pups on a stroll on Sierra Bonita Avenue in Hollywood when a white car approached him and men stepped out, according to a surveillance video of the startling scene. As the men struggled with Fisher, he screamed “no, no, no.” Seconds later, one of the men shot him, and Fischer fell back and howled as the car sped off. Fischer recalls the lucky third dog named Asia having escaped her abductors and laid next to him as he bled out on the sidewalk howling for help while her bulldog brothers Kujo and Gustav didn't get the chance.
The good news is Fischer has since recovered well and is undoubtedly gaining a noble reputation for his bravery. The dog walker was officially tapped a hero by Lady Gaga after he took on life-threatening injuries after being shot at for not surrendering the dogs upon the thieves menacing warnings. As for the real reward, the three younger men have reaped armed robbery and attempted murder charges,while the alleged trigger puller Jackson, faces additional charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and being a felon with a concealed firearm in a vehicle. Both White and McBride have each gained an accessory to attempted murder charges as well.
A representative from the American Kennel Club gave insights pertaining to the high-demand for this breed amongst legit sellers and unfortunately thieves. French bulldogs appropriately nicknamed "Frenchies" have been set amongst the second most desired breeds in 2020, next to Labrador retrievers, for their small size and friendly demeanor.
READ NEXT: Beyonce Victim Of A Robbery, $1 Million Worth Of Items Stolen
Sources: BuzzFeed, The Washington Post