A man who was mistakenly released from a Los Angeles County jail after being arrested in connection with the shooting of Lady Gaga's dog walker, Robert Fischer, and the theft of her French bulldogs has been recaptured, authorities said.
Nearly five months ago James Howard Jackson, 19, was released from jail because of a "clerical error" while awaiting trial, and on Wednesday he was arrested, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. This comes after the United States Marshals Service put up a $5,000 reward for information leading to Jackson's arrest.
Jackson was among five people arrested and three charged with attempted murder and robbery. One of the men charged pleaded no contest to second-degree robbery. Jaylin Keyshawn White, 20, was immediately sentenced to four years in state prison, according to the Times.
Fischer was walking Gaga's three bulldogs in a residential area in Hollywood in February 2021 when a car pulled up alongside them and the suspects reportedly demanded he turn over the animals.
Fischer was allegedly shot once by Jackson who, according to the U.S. Marshals, fired a .40-caliber handgun. The suspects then drove off with two of the dogs, Gustavo and Koji, but the third, Asia, escaped and was safely returned home.
Prosecutors have said that Jackson and two other alleged gang members were driving around the neighborhood looking for expensive French bulldogs to steal when they spotted Fischer near Sunset Boulevard and attacked him. According to the Times, Fischer was hit, choked and then shot in the violent struggle.
Lady Gaga announced a $500,000 reward for the return of the dogs and one of the suspects, Jennifer McBride, responded by turning them in two days after the theft. At the time, Los Angeles Police said the woman had found the dogs and "reached out to Lady Gaga’s staff to return them."
LAPD Capt. Jonathan Tippet told The Associated Press that McBride appeared to be "uninvolved and unassociated" with the attack.
However, in April 2021 McBride and Jackson were arrested alongside Jaylin White, Lafayette Whaley, and Harold White. Jackson, Jaylin White, and Whaley were charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit robbery, and second-degree robbery.
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