Dog-fighting
Lumberton, NC (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007
County: Robeson
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Mickey Ray Locklear
A Lumberton man accused of dog fighting was jailed on March 21 on $1 million bail.
Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Chris Germaine arrested Mickey Ray Locklear, 31, of 265 River Ridge Drive, after getting a tip on March 20 that he was planning a dogfight for Wednesday morning, shortly after midnight.
"They hadn't actually started fighting the dogs yet but he admitted that they were going to fight them," sheriff's Lt. Howard Branch said.
Locklear was also charged with felony possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to Branch, when sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Ammons arrived at Locklear's property about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, he saw between 30 and 50 people flee into the woods. Katherine Floyd, an animal cruelty investigator for the county, said several of those people were questioned and said they had traveled to Locklear's home for a party. Any person caught watching a dogfight can be charged with a felony.
Locklear was the only person arrested at the property, which is located on a dead end street off Deep Branch Road, but the investigation is continuing, Branch said.
"He confessed to having an expectation of charging the spectators money to watch the dogfights," Floyd said. "The Sheriff's Department intervened before any animals were hurt."
Floyd said she found a portable dog-fighting pit, flood lights mounted on tripods, extension cords running to a nearby pump house and a wash bucket for the dogs. Investigators did not find any dogs.
Locklear told lawmen that they got there before the dogs arrived, according to Floyd.
"This was promoting dog fighting and we are sending out a message that Robeson County will not tolerate this type of activity," Floyd said. "The dogs that were supposed to be fought were pit bulls and they were going to be brought from all across the county for a dogfight."
Locklear was released from prison in 1999 after serving nearly three years for trafficking cocaine, according to the state Department of Correction Web site. Deputies confiscated two vehicles at the property that had been reported stolen. References« NC State Animal Cruelty Map
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