Fontana Police Tipped About Cockfighting Ring
FONTANA – Police stopped a cockfighting operation on Saturday, seizing both living and dead roosters, arresting seven people in a raid and dismantled the ring used for the fights.
Police were tipped about the cockfighting operations taking place in the 16300 block of Boyle Ave., according to a spokesman. Some 60 living and dead roosters were discovered during the raid. When officers investigated, they found a cockfighting ring, blades or “gaffs” that are attached to the rosters, plus evidence of illegal gambling, said police.
The tip came on Saturday morning. A large gathering had assembled at the cockfights. When police arrived, officers arrested two people trying to flee. The raided area appeared to be a construction business and not a residence, though there are homes located nearby. Those arrested, though unnamed, face charges of suspicion of felony cruelty to animals. Police did not identify the owner of the property, though they obtained a search warrant when the owner could not be found.
There has been a history of cockfighting in the southern Fontana area, due mainly to larger properties in rural sections of the city. One week earlier in Colton, police raided a cock fight, confiscating 80 birds and arresting seven people.
A business on Boyle Avenue in Fontana was also the home of a cockfighting ring
In cockfighting, a rooster trained and bred for the game is pitted against another in a duel to the death. Gamecocks attack each other with razor-sharp blades, called gaffs, attached to their feet.
Fines for operating a cockfighting game would double under the Senate Bill 1145 introduced by state Senator Bill Emmerson. Cockfighting fines have been set at $5,000, though hopes are to raise that to $10,000.
The fines also apply to cases of fighting between other animals, including dogs. Spectators could face as many as six months in jail, and a fine of $5,000, an increase from $1,000. Confiscated birds are usually sent to animal shelters, said police.
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Daily Bulletin: Fontana police dismantle cockfighting ring
