Another man has now been charged in the theft of pop star Lady Gaga's dogs over a year after the robbery in Los Angeles, where her dog walker was shot.
As AFP reported, 28-year-old Lafayette Shon Whaley, was charged with second-degree robbery and sentenced to six years in prison. Lady Gaga's dog walker, Ryan Fischer, was shot as he went for a walk with the singer's two French bulldogs when multiple people approached him to take the pets forcibly. Fischer was shot during the ordeal.
The robbery, which took place on Feb. 24, 2021, sent Fischer to the hospital after suffering chest injuries and a collapsed lung, he confirmed in a post on Instagram a month after the robbery and shooting, CNN reported.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, announced a $500,000 reward after the robbery leading to the return of her two dogs.
Whaley's prison sentence came a week after an accomplice, 20-year-old Jaylin Keyshawn White, was sentenced to four years in prison. The suspected gunman,19-year-old James Howard Jackson, was also taken into custody after being mistakenly released because of a "clerical error," AFP reported.
NBC Los Angeles reported that White was arrested by the U.S. Marshals fugitive task force. A computer system was updated which incorrectly indicated his charges had been dismissed, and he was previously released in April before being rearrested.
A woman who, according to police, returned the dogs responding to the reward announcement was charged with being an accessory after the fact and for receiving stolen goods.
Police say they don't believe the thieves targeted the dogs because of their owner but because of their breed and connection to high-profile owners.
