Cockfighting Ring Busted

Thirty-two people were cited when a cockfighting ring was busted Sunday morning.

The bust occurred on the 100000 block of Avenue 72, where officers caught the attendees red handed and surrounded them, said John Welsh, a spokesperson for Animal Services.

The suspects were cited for cruelty to animals, cockfighting and being spectators at a cockfighting event, said Sheriff’s Sgt. Jeronimo Contreras.

Deputies found 40 roosters on the property, three of which battled before deputies arrived and were dead. The other 37 roosters were euthanized because Animal Services does not adopt cockfighting roosters to avoid the possibility of them ending up in another cockfighting ring, said Deputy Frank Corvino of Animal Services.

Usually when authorities show up, those attending the illegal fights scatter. This morning’s operation was coordinated to trap the attendees, said Sgt. James Huffman of Animal Services.

“The Sheriff’s Department even had deputies on off-road quad vehicles to catch the runners that tried to escape into the desert,” Huffman said. “We appreciate that level of enforcement. It sends a message to those that attend these illegal fights that we’re taking them very seriously.”

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau and County Code Enforcement worked with Animal Services on the bust.

Deputies asked anybody with information about this incident to call the sheriff’s Indio station at (760) 863-8990.