Five people arrested in connection with the shooting of Lady Gaga’s dog walker and the violent theft of her two French bulldogs have all pleaded not guilty. The woman who brought back the singer’s pets was also among those arrested.
A spokesperson at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to Fox News the defendants were arraigned in court on Thursday afternoon and all pleaded not guilty.
Gaga’s dog walker Ryan Fischer almost died after he was shot in February when he tried to stop thieves who stole two of the singer’s dogs.
The police do not believe that the theft was targeted at Lady Gaga and the thieves did not know the dogs belonged to the singer but the motive was the value of the French bulldogs.
Fischer who was walking Gaga’s three dogs –Asia, Koji and Gustav- in Hollywood just off Sunset Boulevard is currently recovering from a gunshot wound and says the tragedy was ‘a very close call with death.’
After hearing news of the theft and shooting, Lady Gaga offered a reward of $500 000 to anyone who would return the dogs.
It wasn’t long after this that a woman returned the two dogs to an L.A. police station. It is not clear if the woman identified as 50-year-old Jennifer McBride received the reward.
On Thursday the LAPD said it turned out that McBride was in a relationship with the father of one of the suspects.
The suspects, James Jackson, 18, Jaylin White, 19, and Lafayette Whaley, 27, were arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of attempted murder and robbery.
McBride was arrested together with White’s father on suspicion of accessory attempted murder. The Whites, Jackson and Whaley’s are documented gang members.
They are all being held on $1 million bail each after they were charged on Thursday by the L.A. county district attorney’s office.
“Bail was ordered at $3 million for Jackson, $1 million for Jaylin White, $1.1 million for Whaley and $35,000 for Harold White. McBride was released on her own recognizance with a requirement for ankle monitoring,” KABC reported.
Lady Gaga has not yet released a statement regarding the arrest.
