Five suspects in Lady Gaga's dog walker attack had been arrested and charged, the Los Angeles Police Department announced on Thursday. In February, the attack happened wherein a man walking Lady Gaga's French bulldogs in Hollywood was shot, and two of the dogs were abducted.
Lady Gaga's dogs targeted for value
According to the police, the investigation revealed James Jackson, 18, Jaylin White, 19, and Lafayette Whaley, 27, were involved in the kidnapping and shooting of the dog walker. The men did not seem to be threatening the dog walker because of the dogs' owner, said the police. Evidence showed that the men were aware of the dog breed's value and that this was the reason for the robbery, as per The New York Times.
Jennifer McBride, 50, and Harold White, 40, were arrested and charged for being accessories after the shooting, the police added. McBride said she found the dogs and returned them after receiving a reward notice.
Lady Gaga had offered a $500,000 reward for the dogs' safe return. Not long after the attack, she wrote on Instagram, "My heart is sick, and I'm hoping an act of kindness can make my family whole again."
McBride took the dogs to the Olympic Station of the Los Angeles Police Department. According to the police, they eventually learned she had a connection with one of the men arrested.
According to the latest release, detectives say McBride had a relationship with Harold White, the father of one of the attempted murder suspects and a known Los Angeles gang member. The USA Today reported that both he and McBride face charges of attempted murder as accomplices.
White also faces a charge of possessing a firearm, said the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, and McBride faces a charge of accepting stolen property.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced that the suspects would be arraigned on Thursday. It was not entirely clear whether lawyers represented them.
In a statement, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said, "This was a blatant street crime that left a man critically injured. In this case, we have alleged very serious charges, and we have confidence that justice will be done fairly as the case progresses in court."
Read Article: Lady Gaga's Reward for Stolen Dogs May Fuel Dog Napping
Suspects in Lady Gaga's dog walker attack to appear in court in May
The five defendants have been summoned to appear in court on May 11 for a hearing to decide if there is enough proof to cause the case against them to go to trial. Officers from the LAPD's South Bureau Homicide, Metropolitan Division, and Newton Division arrested them in a three-hour duration Tuesday morning, and they have been in jail since then.
Jackson was ordered placed on $3 million bail at the hearing, while Jaylin White and Whaley were both given $1 million bail. Harold White's bond was set at $35,000. McBride's bail was set at $10,000, and she was sentenced to adhere to electronic monitoring and house arrest, in which she would be allowed to work.
In late February, the French bulldogs were kidnapped in a terrifying assault captured on camera, NBC Los Angeles reported. Ryan Fischer, Lady Gaga's dog walker, was shot and severely wounded. The details behind the arrests were not immediately available.
Fischer was shot once in Hollywood while walking three of the singer's French Bulldogs. Since his lung collapsed in March, he was readmitted to the hospital. On Instagram, he revealed that he had surgery to take parts of his lung.
"The perpetrators did not seem to be attacking the victim because of the dogs' owner," police said in a statement. "However, research indicates that the criminals were aware of the breed's high worth and that this was the reason for the robbery."
