Officers make another cockfighting bust, this time in Sylmar

Police arrested a man today for allegedly running a cockfighting operation in Sylmar, authorities said.

Genareo Vasquez, 52, was arrested in the 15000 block of Lakeside Street by officers from the Los Angeles Animal Cruelty Task Force after they received a tip, said Lt. Gil Moreno of the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services.

"The officers’ preliminary investigation revealed numerous fighting roosters" housed at the location, Moreno said.

Officers seized and destroyed 42 roosters, 90 hens and 15 chicks, Moreno said.

It’s the second cockfighting bust this month.

On July 1, a man from South Los Angeles was charged with running a cockfighting ring after Los Angeles police received a tip about a cockfight in progress in the 1300 block of East 108th Street, according to a police report.

Israel Ramirez, 52, was arrested on a warrant charging him with felony cockfighting, animal cruelty, possession of cockfighting paraphernalia and possession of birds with the intent to fight, officials said.

Officers apprehended Ramirez and 10 spectators.

Cockfighting cases are handled by the City of Los Angeles animal cruelty task force. Reports of animal bloodsport and cruelty can be reported to the task force at (213) 847-1417.

-- Francisco Vara-Orta

Comments

[wolf vorkian]

"Cockfighting cases are handled by the City of Los Angeles animal cruelty task force."

So they saved them from cruelty by killing them. Odd way to help them out.

[PJ McKosky]

I am disgusted LA Animal Control destroyed all of the animals - including the hens and the chicks - without even an attempt to find temporary or permanent homes for the birds.

Even the tired, antiquated rhetoric about roosters being "unplaceable" has been proved untrue by sanctuaries like the Eastern Shore Chicken Sanctuary on the East coast - but to kill the females (hens) that aren't even used for fighting alongside the chicks is a tragedy. The point of the law has apparently been lost on its enforcers.

[Julian S Camacho]

Rooster fighting was a Mexican tradition before the US arrived here in California. The culture doesn't change because Whites impose their laws. Gallo fighting is a religion of camaraderie where Mexican men come together to celebrate the connection between males and nature.

It is illegal for people to circumcise their new born boys or for teenage boys to smash their heads with school sanctioned helmets. What's the excuse for permitting this? Religion and school.

Cockfighting is a religion rooted in ancient Mexican customs that outsiders will never comprehend and what a waste of police resources.

[Brien Comerford]

Why did they kill these innocent birds. There is nobody to commend in reference to this atrocity!

[leah]

also to Julian, you cannot compare circumcision (while definitely controversial) and football (i'm assuming that's what you're talking about in your comment) with training animals to be aggressive and then fitting them with razor sharp contraptions so that they can fight to the bloodly death while men sit around (probably drinking, betting and) cheering them on.

ridiculous.

[Rochelle]

Julian - what a pathetic way for "man and nature to connect". There are better, more mutually beneficial ways for men and nature to co-exist. To describe cockfighting as a 'religion' is probably the only way that you can think of it as acceptable. Why don't you have a look at Buddhism instead?

[Don Ford]

Killing an animal to protect it from cruelty? Am I missing something?