Two local men among 10 arrested for cock fight

Two local men were among 10 arrested in neighboring DeKalb County over the weekend after lawmen raided a cock fight in Dowelltown.

The raid was conducted by the DeKalb County Sheriff?s Department just before 8 p.m. Saturday evening after they received a tip about the illegal operation. When officers arrived on E.H. Haas Road in the rural DeKalb County town, they found the illegal cock fight being held in a makeshift outdoor arena, illuminated by the headlights of cars parked around the battle ring. An investigation revealed several pieces of evidence which will be used against the 10 Hispanic men arrested at the cock fighting ring.

Found at the scene were two injured roosters and one that was almost dead. Along with these were needle spurs, razor spurs, bottles of vitamin B complex, and cages used to transport chickens. Investigators learned during interviews with the suspects that bets of $100 per round were being placed during the fights. Over $5,000 was seized from the defendants, according to DeKalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray.

Charged with cockfighting, a class A misdemeanor, were: Artemio Alfaro, 38, of Sparta; Joel Mendez, 27, of Sparta; Juan Orozco, 32, of McMinnville; Juan Avalos, 20, of Short Mountain Road, Smithville; Leonardo Guadarrana, 31, of Sparta; Nicolas Reyes, 23, and Mariano Reyes, 33, of Carter Street, Smithville; Hugo Reyes, 35, of McMinnville; Rodolfo Reyes, 33, of E.H. Haas Road, Dowelltown; and Antonio Ornelas, 49, of Sparta.

Rodolfo Reyes and Antonio Ornelas also face charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor because their 12- and 13-year-old children, respectively, were with them at the scene.