Lady Gaga‘s infamous dognapper will spend more than two decades behind bars. Per The Daily Mail, James Howard Jackson has pleaded no contest to one count of attempted murder in relation to the February 24, 2021 dognapping of two of Lady Gaga’s French Bulldogs. In the violent incident, her dogwalker Ryan Fischer, 41, attempted to keep Gaga’s little dogs Asia, Koji and Gustav, safe but was shot by James as they made off with two of the pets. The dognapping occurred around Hollywood near the legendary Sunset Boulevard.
A shocking video recorded by a Ring camera reportedly captured Ryan screaming, “Oh, my God! I´ve been shot!”, “Help me!'” and “I´m bleeding out from my chest!” James was sentenced to 21 years in the incident, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, via the DM. “The plea agreement holds Mr. Jackson accountable for perpetrating a coldhearted violent act and provides justice for our victim,” the DA’s office reportedly said in a statement.
According to prosecutors in the incident, Jackson and several others were driving around Hollywood in February of 2021 and specifically looking for French Bulldogs because of their high value. He was one of three men named in the crime, along with two accomplices. They allegedly came across the A Star is Born actress’s pets and her dogwalker. In the violent scuffle that followed, Ryan wound up being shot in the chest and losing a part of his lung, as two of the dogs were taken — one other, Asia, ran off and was recovered and returned to Lady Gaga later. The dog walker later claimed he was homeless after his hospitalization and plead for public help in a GoFundMe campaign.
As for the gorgeous singer, 36, she took to Instagram on February 26 to plead for the dogs’ return and praise the bravery of their walker. She also offered a sizable reward for their return. “My beloved dogs Koji and Gustav were taken in Hollywood two nights ago. My heart is sick and I am praying my family will be whole again with an act of kindness. I will pay $500,000 for their safe return. Email KojiandGustav@gmail.com to contact us. Or, if you bought or found them unknowingly, the reward is the same. I continue to love you Ryan Fischer, you risked your life to fight for our family. You’re forever a hero.”
That same day, on February 26, the dogs were returned to an LAPD station unharmed. However, it was later discovered that one of the suspects in the case, Jennifer McBride, 51, was allegedly the person who had claimed she “found” and returned the animals.