American police were actively looking for a man, released by mistake, who is suspected of having violently assaulted a Lady Gaga employee to kidnap the star's dogs on Wednesday.
James Howard Jackson, 19, was released on April 6 following an administrative error, the US Marshals, the US agency responsible for prosecuting fugitives, said in a statement offering up to $5,000 in rewards for any information leading to his capture.
Howard Jackson and two other individuals had been charged with attempted murder and robbery for shooting a Lady Gaga employee who was walking her three French bulldogs, before abducting two of them, while the superstar singer was in Italy for the filming of
House of Gucci
.
Read alsoAfter being close to death, Lady Gaga's dog walker recounts his assault
Lady Gaga had offered a half-million dollar reward to anyone who returned the two dogs, Koji and Gustav, to her.
A woman had brought them back, claiming to have found them tied to a post, before being arrested in turn: she was in a relationship with the father of one of the suspects, according to the
Los Angeles Times.
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.
Lady Gaga is particularly attached to her dogs, who frequently accompany her to public events and of which she publishes photos on social networks.
