Sheriff deputies arrested 19 people after raiding a garage that doubled as a cockfighting arena. A woman was charged with knowingly owning a facility for animal fights and 18 other people were charged with attending a fight or baiting an animal after the raid late Thursday. All the charges are felonies.
Deputies said the air-conditioned garage had a fighting ring with sawdust on the floor. Eighteen fighting roosters, some outfitted with sharpened spurs on their claws, were seized.
Gloria Abejon Cruz, 51, of 3820 12th Ave. S.E., where the roosters and the fighting ring were found, was charged with knowingly owning a facility for the purpose of fighting animals.
Eighteen others were charged with attending a fight or baiting an animal, a felony. Although deputies didn't witness gambling going on, some of the arrested men told deputies they'd been betting only $20 or $30 "because they were working men," deputies say.
The 18 others at the garage, which doubled as the sawdust-covered fight venue, also face felony charges as part of a Florida law that increased the penalty for animal fighting charges and went into effect July 1.
Also arrested and charged with attending a fight or baiting an animal were: Rolando Carrillo, 51, of 4020 Coconut Circle, East Naples; Orlando Blanco, 32, of 2049 41st St. S.W., Golden Gate; Leonel Valdes, 21, of 91 19th St. S.W., Golden Gate; Orlando Gonzalez, 61, of 1180 23rd St. S.W., Golden Gate; Orebe Perez, 54, of 531 29th St. S.W., Golden Gate; Francisco Reinaldo Blanco, 58, of 3241 Second Ave. S.E., Golden Gate Estates; Omar Olivera, 46, of 2848 10th Ave. S.E., Golden Gate Estates; Angel Hernandez, 47, of 6199 Whitaker Road, East Naples; Leocadio Pozo, 69, of 3502 Seminole Ave., East Naples; Luis Benitez, 39, of Miami; Santiago Martin, 68, of 110 22nd Ave. N.E., Golden Gate Estates; Norberto Hernandez, 23, of 5367 Treetops Drive, East Naples; Jose Valdes, 67, of 91 19th St. S.E., Golden Gate Estates; Hermilo Castillo, 45, of 11440 Labrador Lane, East Naples; Francisco Osorio, 56, of 3383 Estey Ave., East Naples; Martin Herrera, 47, of 3270 Everglades Blvd., Golden Gate Estates; Eduardo Serrano, 46, of 4416 17th Court, Golden Gate; and Ismael Herrera, 55, of 2230 39th St. S.W., Golden Gate.
"We're aware it's taking place in Collier County," said sheriff's Capt. Kevin Rambosk, who runs the organized crime division. "And when we know exactly where it's going on, we're going to go in and close it down. This is a criminal enterprise and it can lead to other crimes."
The arrests came two days after a Sumter County man was charged with organizing an illegal cockfighting ring. References« Back to Search Results
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