El Dorado County – El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department announced discovery of nearly 250 roosters in a cockfighting operation in Garden Valley, and the arrest of two men.

El Dorado County Sheriff’s Spokesman Bryan Golmitz said deputies stopped a vehicle for minor traffic violation about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 13 in Diamond Springs. Deputies noticed “a box in the rear of the pick-up, which appeared suspicious to them.”

Golmitz said: “Deputies inspected the box and located two roosters inside. Both roosters appeared to have incurred injuries consistent with cock fighting.” A vehicle search revealed several “slashers,” used in fighting roosters.

The driver, Saul Cuevas Ayala, and passenger Rogelio Reyes-Higareda, were arrested for possession of bird fighting equipment, possession of a fighting game cock and conspiracy. Both were booked into El Dorado County Jail. ¶ At 1 p.m. that day, deputies and El Dorado County Animal Services served a search warrant at the Ayala residence at 4325 Brush Bunny Lane in Garden Valley. During service of the warrant, several items related to cockfighting were located and collected as evidence.

Nearly 250 fighting game birds were found at the residence in Garden Valley, and all were euthanized. Investigators found the birds with fighting implements, and other evidence of cockfighting.

El Dorado Animal Services Chief Henry Brzezinski said it appeared to be “a significant operation,” and “typically, large amounts of money, drugs and weapons are involved in cockfighting matches.”

He said there “are also often other crimes and violence associated with these activities,” and it is “definitely a situation we want to address if we suspect it is happening.”

Cockfighting is illegal in the United States, and is a misdemeanor in California, with penalties including jail and/or fines up to $5,000 for a first offense, and $25,000 for a second offense. Brzezinski said states surrounding California consider cockfighting a felony, and “this may be one of the reasons why we are seeing more cockfighting operations here.”

Brzezinski said “hidden cockfighting operations” are “more common than most people realize.” He said the birds are “bred” to be “aggressive by injecting them with powerful chemicals, stimulants and hormones, and by subjecting them to inhumane training methods.” Before fighting, a “slasher” knife “is attached to one of the legs of each rooster and the birds are taunted into fighting one another until one usually dies from its injuries.”

None of the birds connected with the Feb. 13 raid could be saved, Brzezinski said. “The birds were humanely euthanized because they were either in bad shape physically or their behavior was too aggressive for them to be rehabilitated.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.