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Authorities have seized more than 800 roosters and arrested a 30-year-old Santa Rosa man they believe used the birds in a suspected cockfighting operation, according to a social media post made Thursday, Feb. 26, by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.
Saul Villalobos-Delacruz was arrested Wednesday, Feb. 25, at a farm in the 3000 block of Stony Point Road, on suspicion of animal abuse and other charges related to bird fighting, officials said.
Personnel from the Sheriff’s Rural Crimes Task Force, along with detectives from the Property Crimes, Violent Crimes and Crime Scene Investigations units, patrol deputies, officers from Sonoma County Animal Services, as well as county code enforcement workers, served a search warrant at the farm and found 833 roosters at the location, officials said.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, investigators also found “evidence consistent with bird fighting,” including:
- Slashers,
- Timers,
- Identification bands,
- Betting slips,
- Small denomination currency,
- Veterinary medication and conditioning supplements.
Villalobos-Delacruz, who was initially booked into the Sonoma County jail in Santa Rosa, has been released on supervision pending a trial, officials said.
Animal control personnel seized the roosters, officials said. It was unclear where the animals are being sheltered.