Two French bulldogs were stolen at gunpoint Friday from the 9-months-pregnant woman who was walking them in Studio City in the latest in a series of thefts targeting the breed.
The robbery occurred around 10 a.m. in the 4100 block of Kraft Avenue, just south of Ventura Boulevard and west of Tujunga Avenue, the Los Angeles Police Department’s North Hollywood Division reported.
The woman was walking the dogs when she was approached by an armed man who demanded and took the dogs, then fled in a gray SUV, police said.
The suspect is approximately 6 feet tall and weighs an estimated 200 pounds. He appeared between 20 and 30 years old, according to the LAPD.
Anyone with knowledge of the dogs’ whereabouts or the identity of the robber was asked to call North Hollywood Division detectives at 818-754-8425 or the LAPD’s 24-hour tipline at 877-527-3247. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
The French bulldog was named by the American Kennel Club as the most popular dog breed in Los Angeles in 2022. The recent spate of thefts of the animals includes the Feb. 24, 2021 shooting attack on Lady Gaga’s dog walker, Ryan Fischer.
James Howard Jackson, 20, pleaded no contest to an attempted murder Monday.
Lady Gaga, who was in Italy filming a movie at the time of the shooting, had offered a $500,000 reward for her pets’ safe return.
Los Angeles police said at the time that detectives did not believe the victim was targeted because of the dogs’ owner, but suspected that the great value of the breed was known and was the motivation for the robbery.
Last month, on the Sixth Street Viaduct connecting Boyle Heights and downtown Los Angeles, a pair of French bulldogs were taken at gunpoint.
The victims said they were walking the dogs when they were approached by two male suspects, one of whom was armed with a handgun. According to Los Angeles police, a 15-year-old boy was arrested for the crime four days later and charged by the District Attorney’s Office with two counts of armed robbery. The dogs — named Rhino and Blue — have not been recovered.
Source: NBC Los Angeles
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