Cockfighting - 125 birds - Polk City, FL

Sunday, May 7, 2006

County: Polk

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged:
» Ynel Vilme
» Prinne Dugar
» Hector Hernandez
» Dario Molina
» Jonathon Molina
» Jorge Gomez
» Daniel A. Martinex
» Abimael Moral
» Raul Gonzalez
» Ramon Vasquez
» Luis Medina
» Luis Molina
» Humberto Moya
» Orlando Ceballos
» Carlos Gonzalez
» Angel Medina
» Sinelio Cuevas
» Miguel Acevedo
» Armando Perez
» Ruben Guilfucci
» Jose Torres
» Eddie Nieves
» Derciev Fils
» Iran Martinez
» Eddie Ramos
» Carlos Ramos

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Tucked away on a wooded lot at the end of a narrow dirt road, deputies discovered what they described as an elaborate cockfighting operation early Sunday afternoon. The raid nabbed 25 people, including the property owner and numerous people who had gathered to watch a fight.

Deputies still were working late Sunday to inventory evidence, book prisoners and figure out what to do with the estimated 125 roosters caged at the site, Polk County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Donna Wood said. They also found several dead birds. A judge ultimately will determine what to do with the birds. For now, they will be kept at the site, guarded by a deputy, Wood said. She said an anonymous tip led deputies to the property at 6435 Stagecoach Road.

There they found an area where the roosters were outfitted with fighting spurs and a ring surrounded by benches that included numbered seating. Wood said the birds were agitated before they fight, mainly by forcing the roosters to face each other beak-to-beak. The birds, outfitted with razors on their legs, then would be lowered into a ring in cages. She described the property's operations as "especially elaborate." Wood said those arrested could face multiple charges, including animal cruelty, attending a cockfight, fighting and baiting animals. Operating a cockfighting ring is punishable as a third- degree felony.

Property records show that the site was purchased in October for $190,000 by Carlos Gonzalez. Wood said Gonzalez was taken into custody; he had not been booked into the Polk County Jail late May 7.

She said deputies planned to spend much of the night going through evidence, which included the cars of spectators who were arrested and a mountain of fighting paraphernalia. Cockfighting, popular in many developing countries, remains illegal in most parts of the United States. However, in 2001, there were an estimated 30,000 breeders who raised roosters specifically to fight.

Authorities in Florida continue to break up cockfighting operations, often in remote locations such as the site of Sunday's raid. Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies arrested 20 men on April 29 at a suspected cockfight. Deputies found performance-enhancing drugs at that site; the 214 roosters seized had to be euthanized.

Deputies said those arrested will be charged with violating the Animal Fighting Act, which covers fighting animals, baiting animals into a fight and attending a fight. The charges are a third-degree felony and can carry a three- to five-year prison sentence.

Case Updates

A day after Polk County sheriff's deputies raided a cockfighting ring based near Polk City, a judge has ordered the roosters found there be euthanized. On Monday, while the man accused of owning the ring remained in jail on $1,000 bail, Polk County Judge Steven Selph ordered that a veterinarian humanely euthanize about 120 roosters, according to sheriffs' spokeswoman Donna Wood. The roosters remained on the property Monday as deputies continued to collect evidence, Wood said. Carlos Gonzalez, who owns the property at 6435 Stagecoach Road where the roosters were seized, was charged with operating an animal fighting facility. Sheriff's deputies said they also arrested 25 adults and one teenager on charges of attending a fight or baiting of an animal. Both of those charges are thirddegree felonies, punishable by up to five years in state prison. Deputies were tipped off Sunday about a cockfighting operation and raided the farm that afternoon. Deputies found thousands of dollars in cash, rooster carcasses, and metal spurs that are put onto the roosters' natural spurs to make the fights bloodier and more vicious. They also found a fighting ring with carpeted sides, scales for weighing chickens, timers and pens suspended over the ring with a pulley system. Six of the people arrested on charges of attending the cockfighting event were from Polk County, one was from Connecticut, and the rest were from other parts of Florida. The six Polk County residents were: Orlando Ceballos, 4071 Hinson Ave., Haines City; Ynel Vilme, 1505 26th Terrace, Haines City; Prinne Dugar, 3601 Baker Ave., Haines City; Hector Hernandez, 2692 Fast Trot Trail, Lake Wales; and Dario Molina and Jonathon Molina, both of 119 Padgett Place, Lakeland. Also arrested were: Jorge Gomez, Lake Placid; Daniel A. Martinex, New London, Conn.; Abimael Moral, Plant City; Raul Gonzalez, Miami; Ramon Vasquez, Kissimmee; Luis Medina, Plant City; Luis Molina, St. Cloud; Humberto Moya, Orlando; Angel Medina, Dover; Sinelio Cuevas, Sebring; Miguel Acevedo, Kissimmee; Humberto Moya, Orlando; Angel Medina, Dover; Sinelio Cuevas, Sebring; Miguel Acevedo, Kissimmee; Armando Perez, Tampa; Ruben Guilfucci, Tampa; Jose Torres, Orlando; Eddie Nieves, Tampa; Derciev Fils, Immokalee; Iran Martinez, Spring Hill; Eddie Ramos, Orlando; and Carlos Ramos, Orlando.

Source: The Ledger - May 9, 2006 Update posted on May 9, 2006 - 7:42AM

References

• - May 8, 2006

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