Multiple people who were allegedly involved in the kidnapping of two of Lady Gaga‘s French Bulldogs and the shooting of her dog walker in February have been arrested, TMZ reports. Law enforcement sources say that the suspects were arrested on Thursday on multiple charges including attempted murder and robbery.
Officers reportedly obtained video of where the dogs were dropped off in an alley days after they were taken, and the footage became “key evidence” in finding the suspects. In addition, the woman who “found” the two dogs tied up in an alley and brought them to the LAPD’s Olympic Community Police Station was also arrested. Police had been suspicious of the women since she returned the dogs and advised Gaga not to give her the $500,000 reward the singer had been offering.
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Police reportedly thought that the dognapping was a gang initiation but later shifted their theory to a dog-stealing ring. French Bulldogs are an in-demand breed and can be resold for large amounts, and it’s unclear whether the suspects knew the dogs were Gaga’s when they took them. Law enforcement officers reportedly believe that the dognappers became nervous about the publicity surrounding the incident and decided to let the dogs go and attempt to collect Gaga’s reward money.
On Feb. 24, Gaga’s dog walker Ryan Fischer, was walking the singer’s three French Bulldogs, Asia, Koji and Gustav, when assailants took Koji and Gustav and shot Fischer once in the chest. Asia managed to escape the attackers and returned to comfort Fischer, who was in the hospital for several weeks but is now reportedly “OK.”
“While a car sped away and blood poured from my gunshot wound, an angel trotted over and laid next to me,” Fischer captioned an Instagram post after the attack. “My panicked screams calmed as I looked at her, even though it registered that the blood pooling around her tiny body was my own. I cradled Asia as best I could, thanked her for all the incredible adventures we’d been on together, apologized that I couldn’t defend her brothers, and then resolved that I would still try to save them… and myself.”
At the time of the incident, Gaga was in Italy working on the upcoming movie House of Gucci, which is currently filming. After Koji and Gustav were taken, Gaga wrote on Instagram, “My heart is sick and I am praying my family will be whole again with an act of kindness.” She also shared a message to Fischer, writing, “I continue to love you Ryan Fischer, you risked your life to fight for our family. You’re forever a hero.”
