On Sunday, March 1st, Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies broke up a cockfighting ring located at Selma Valley Golf Course.
At 1:30 pm, a person called FSO dispatchers to report illegal activity was taking place at the golf course, which is currently closed for business. The Sheriff’s Office helicopter, Eagle-1, was first on scene and the pilot observed a crowd of approximately 300 people. Once people noticed the helicopter and heard its siren, they ran to their vehicles and began to drive away. Patrol units parked on surrounding roads and allowed them to leave in a safe manner. However, some drivers chose to drive the opposite direction through the golf course. One person hit a fence on the south side of the course near E. Nebraska Ave. and got stuck on a dirt berm. Another driver drove through an open gate and became stuck in the dirt. Deputies contacted the drivers for questioning.
Deputies searched the clubhouse on the property and discovered a cockfighting ring. There was evidence showing bets were being made and a fight had recently taken place. Deputies located 47 dead roosters and 29 live roosters. They also found many sets of cockfighting spurs and aluminum tags used to identify the birds. Deputies called Liberty Animal Control to remove all of the roosters from the property.
Deputies spoke to a total of six men on the property. Everyone was cited on misdemeanor charges of being spectators at an animal fight. One man was booked into the Fresno County Jail because he is on active felony probation. Deputies were unable to locate the people in charge of running the fights.
This remains an ongoing investigation. Detectives are following up to develop more information on this case. It is unknown how long this operation had been running.
Historically, reports of cockfighting are relatively low in Fresno County. Our office typically receives two or three complaints a year. However, this is the second such report we have received in the past month. On February 8th, deputies broke up a cockfighting ring located at a packing shed on the 5000 block of W. Lincoln Ave. in rural Fresno. It has not been determined that these two cases are related.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on this case to please contact the Sheriff’s Office at (559) 600-3111 or Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-STOP (7867).
