Cockfighting - 26 birds seized
Asbury Park, NJ (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Feb 15, 2005
County: Monmouth
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Raymond J. Lopez
Authorities have confiscated 26 chickens and roosters, and three bearded dragon lizards from a home, and the owner of the creatures now faces a number of animal cruelty charges.
Police originally were called to the home after a report of an aggravated assault last week and then found the animals packed into the cellar, Victor Amato.
The owner, Raymond Lopez, 45, may now face up to 28 charges of animal cruelty, when the investigation is complete.
Most of the roosters and chickens appear to have come from a farm in Howell, where authorities last year found about 1,400 roosters that were bred to fight, in addition to what appeared to be a cockfighting ring.
In the Howell case, Lopez was charged with keeping and maintaining animals for fighting. Amato found the roosters and chickens living in the basement, with some placed in fish tanks emptied of water, during an investigation from Thursday into Friday.Amato added that the conditions were inappropriate and unsanitary.
After authorities found the birds, Lopez agreed to sign over ownership to the SPCA. The Associated Humane Societies, Tinton Falls, assisted with the removal of the animals to a farm in Colts Neck. References« NJ State Animal Cruelty Map
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