Los Angeles police say the woman who returned Lady Gaga’s stolen French bulldogs was among five people arrested in connection with the theft and shooting of the music superstar’s dog walker.
Police say detectives do not believe that the thieves knew the dogs belonged to the pop star.
They believe the motive for the February 24 robbery was the value of the French bulldogs — which can run into the thousands of dollars.
The dog walker, Ryan Fischer, is recovering from a gunshot wound and has called the violence “a very close call with death” in social media posts.
Attack occurred off Sunset Boulevard
He was walking Lady Gaga’s three dogs — named Asia, Koji and Gustav — in Hollywood just off the famed Sunset Boulevard when he was attacked.
Video from the doorbell camera of a nearby home shows a white sedan pulling up and two men jumping out.
They struggled with Fischer and one pulled a gun and fired a single shot before fleeing with two of the dogs, Koji and Gustav.
The video captured Fischer’s screams of, “Oh, my God! I’ve been shot!” and “Help me!” and “I’m bleeding out from my chest!”
Singer offered $500K reward
Lady Gaga offered a $500,000 reward — “no questions asked” — to be reunited with the dogs.
The singer had been in Rome at the time filming a movie.
The dogs were returned two days later to an LAPD station by a woman who police initially said appeared to be “uninvolved and unassociated” with the crime.
It’s not immediately clear if the 50-year-old woman received the reward.
Police say the woman turned out to be in a relationship with the father of one of the suspects.
4 men, 1 woman charged
Police arrested three men — an 18-year-old, a 19-year-old and a 27-year-old — on Tuesday on suspicion of attempted murder and robbery.
The 19-year-old suspect’s 40-year-old father and the 50-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of accessory attempted murder.
Police allege the four men who have been charged are all documented gang members.
The five suspects were charged Thursday by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
All five were being held on $1 million US bail each.
www.cbc.ca 2021-04-29 23:03:34