James Howard Jackson: Man who shot Lady Gaga's dog walker, stole her French bulldogs gets 21 years in prison
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The man who shot Lady Gaga's dog walker and stole her French bulldogs last year entered a plea agreement and was given a 21-year prison term on Monday, December 5. As per the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, James Howard Jackson, one of the three men who took part in the brutal heist, entered a no-contest plea to one count of attempted murder.
On February 24, 2021, Jackson along with Jaylin White, 19, and Lafayette Whaley, 27 allegedly traveled around Hollywood "looking for French bulldogs." They discovered Ryan Fischer, 41, Lady Gaga's dog walker, together with Gustav, Koji, and Asia, the singer's three pets. Jackson shot Fischer during the theft near Sunset Boulevard when two of the dogs were taken. The dog walker was heard shouting, "Oh, my God!" on a neighboring doorbell camera. "I've been shot, 'Help me," and "I'm bleeding from out my chest!" Fischer suffered lung tissue loss. He wrote on Instagram about how great his recovery was going around a month after the crime, as per Daily Mail.
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A woman named Jennifer McBride responded to the reward email and returned the pop star's prized pups. She was later arrested as well when it came to light that she was in a relationship with Harold White, the father of one of the men accused of assaulting the dog walker. Authorities claimed that the Lady Gaga connection was merely a coincidence and that the singer's dogs were not specifically targeted because of her notoriety.
Detectives don't think the burglars were aware the dogs belonged to the musician; instead, they suspect they were motivated by the French bulldogs' high value as a breed, which can reach thousands of dollars. The prosecutor's office said on Monday that Jackson also acknowledged the charge of causing great bodily harm and a prior strike. A 21-year prison term was imposed on him. The statement reads, "The plea agreement holds Mr. Jackson accountable for perpetrating a coldhearted violent act and provides justice for our victim."
Jackson was originally detained in August on suspicion of shooting Lady Gaga's dog walker and taking her French bulldogs. However, he was wrongly freed from the Los Angeles County jail and was later apprehended again. He was detained nearly five months after being released from custody to await trial "due to a clerical error," according to a statement from the county Sheriff's Department. One of the three males accused in the crime, who was arrested with Jackson, entered a not-guilty plea to second-degree robbery. According to NBC4, Deputy District Attorney Michele Hanisee announced that 20-year-old Jaylin Keyshawn White was promptly given a four-year state prison sentence. Whaley has been sentenced to six years.