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Lady Gaga’s dog walker’s attempted killer, James Howard Jackson, gets 21 years in prison, taking a plea deal. Jackson pleaded guilty to violently attacking Ryan Fischer and stealing two of her french bulldogs.
Investigators say it was a coincidence that the grammy award-winning artist who’s worked with other celebrities like Beyonce was connected to the incident and didn’t believe the thieves knew the dogs belonged to Lady Gaga. However, they do believe the thieves were motivated by the value of the french bulldogs, which can range between $1,500 and $3,000 in the U.S.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, James Howard Jackson, one of three men and two other accomplices who took part in the violent robbery, pleaded no contest to one count of attempted murder.
Prosecutors say Jackson and his accomplices drove around Hollywood, West Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley on Feb. 24, 2021, looking for French bulldogs to steal. That’s the date they encountered Ryan Fischer, who was walking Lady Gaga’s dogs.
A camera from a house in the neighborhood showed Jackson and accomplices hitting and choking Fischer. Jackson was seen on camera pulling out a semiautomatic weapon and firing it a Fischer before Jackson and two others were seen fleeing the scene.
Ryan Fischer was heard shouting, “Oh, my God! I’ve been shot! Help me! I’m bleeding out from my chest!”
Lady Gaga offered a $500,000 reward — “no questions asked” — for the return of her dogs. Several days after the crime, a woman also charged with the crime returned the dogs.
Fischer is still recovering from last year’s attack.
The representatives of Lady Gaga did not immediately respond to a request for comment following Jackson’s 21-year sentence.