Cockfighting
Summerdale, AL (US)

Incident Date: Sunday, Nov 26, 2006
County: Baldwin

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Francisco Hurtado

Investigators broke up an illegal cockfight in South Baldwin County, and Francisco Hurtado is charged with three counts of animal cruelty as well as gambling charges. Neighbors are relieved after the arrest and authorities are feeling a little bit lucky.

"I just seen a bunch a cars over there and men going toward the back." It was Nov 26 when authorities got a call from a neighbor that something was going on at a mobile home near Summerdale. "I just don't agree with stuff like that." One neighbor, agreed to talk only if she wasn't identified, "It's not right," she says.

"When deputies responded they saw a large amount of vehicles and as they started to walk up to the location quite a few people started running through the woods, it was pretty obvious what they were doing at that point," says Baldwin County Sheriffs Lt. John Murphy. Deputies took several photographs showing what was going on, roosters, some with spurs called gaffs attached to one leg, in and around a makeshift arena where the fighting had already begun and at least one bird had already been killed.

Francisco Hurtado was arrested and charged with cockfighting, gambling and animal cruelty. "I just don't like it, it's just not right," the neighbor repeats. A lot of neighbors didn't want to talk fear of retaliation but they did say on any given weekend the road in front of their houses is lined with cars and although they didn't know specifically what was going on they had their suspicions. "They're not chickens used for laying eggs or anything. It's very common, nothing illegal about raising the birds and sometimes they sell them. It's not uncommon for fighting chickens to go for 500 to 1500 dollars." Folks who live in this area say they feel better now that the fighting has stopped, they just wonder for how long.

The charges are misdemeanors. Police tell News Five one rooster was killed, two others injured. Because birds that are trained to fight can't be kept with other animals, the fighting birds are still with Hurtado.

References

• WKRG - Nov 28, 2006

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