Almost four months after he was mistakenly freed from custody in Los Angeles, a man accused of shooting Lady Gaga’s dog walker in a robbery was captured Wednesday, officials said.
James Howard Jackson, 19, was arrested in Palmdale, a city north of L.A., the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.
Jackson is charged in the Feb. 24, 2021, shooting of dog walker Ryan Fischer.
He was released from jail by mistake on April 6 due to what the sheriff’s department has said was a clerical error.
Last month, the U.S. Marshals Service announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to Jackson’s arrest, but whether that played any role in him being taken into custody Wednesday was not immediately clear.
Fisher was walking Lady Gaga’s French bulldogs in Hollywood when he was robbed by three people, officials have said.
Two of the dogs were stolen, and Jackson allegedly shot Fisher in the chest with a .40-caliber handgun. Fisher survived.
Jackson and two other people have been charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit robbery and second-degree robbery. Two other people were charged with being an accessory after the fact.
One of the men, Jaylin Keyshawn White, 20, pleaded no contest to a charge of second-degree robbery and was sentenced to four years in state prison Wednesday, NBC Los Angeles reported.
Other charges, including attempted murder, conspiracy to commit robbery and assault were dismissed as a result of his plea, Deputy District Attorney Michele Hanisee said to the station.
The dogs, Koji and Gustav, were turned in to police unharmed days after the robbery. Lady Gaga had offered a $500,000 reward for their return.
The Los Angeles Police Department said at the time they don’t think the robbers knew the animals belonged to the musician, but targeted them because that breed of dog is expensive.
The American Kennel Club ranked French bulldogs as the second-most popular breed of dog in 2021.