A man who violently assaulted an employee of American singer Lady Gaga to kidnap the star’s dogs was sentenced to 21 years in prison on Monday in Los Angeles. His accomplices have already been sentenced to four and six years in prison.
The 20-year-old pleaded guilty to attempted murder, admitting he was part of the group that shot the singer’s employee as he walked the ‘Poker Face’ singer’s three French bulldogs in Hollywood, in February 2021.
“A plea agreement holds the defendant accountable for perpetrating a violent, heartless act and brings justice to our victims,” said a statement from the prosecutor’s office. CCTV footage showed two men getting out of a car near the singer’s employee, before shooting him in the chest.
The individuals then seized two of the dogs, Koji and Gustav, fleeing, leaving the walker on the ground, bleeding. The third dog, Miss Asia, had fled but then returned to snuggle up to the injured man. He later revealed on Instagram that he had suffered lung damage.
Other convictions
Lady Gaga, known for her hits ‘Just Dance’ or ‘Bad Romance’, had offered a reward of 500,000 dollars for the return of her precious French bulldogs. A woman had brought them back, saying she had found them tied to a post, before being arrested in turn. According to the police, she had a relationship with the father of one of the attackers and had been responsible for collecting the reward on their behalf.
The convict was released on April 6 following an administrative error and then arrested again four months later. This sentence comes after that of his accomplices, a 20-year-old man, sentenced to four years in prison and another aged 28, sentenced to six years in prison.
The case had illustrated the popularity of these dogs with stars … and criminals, for whom their small size and high price make them prime targets for resale on the black market.
/ATS