Burned Roosters Found At Mulberry Cockfighting Ring: Police

MULBERRY, FL — Fourteen people were arrested by the Polk County Sheriff's Office at a gambling and cockfighting event in Mulberry on Wednesday, said authorities in a news release. Deputies saw several men gambling and exchanging cash outside a Mulberry residence. Detectives obtained a search warrant for the property and found seven dead roosters lying on the ground in the same vicinity where the gambling took place.

Investigators searched inside a shed at the location and found rubber boxing gloves use to train roosters to fight, knives used to strap on roosters' legs for fighting to death and performance enhancing drugs for roosters, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Burned bodies of roosters were found inside a 55-gallon metal trash barrel. More than 100 live roosters were discovered living in individual housing. A total of 481 rooster and chickens were taken from the property by authorities.

Authorities could tell that there had been a recent cock fight as they found fresh feathers on the ground and also in the fight ring for the roosters. It was evident that the rooster fights had spectators as there were multiple chairs placed around the ring. The suspects had weighed roosters before each fight because there was a scale present, according to officials.

"We received a call for service regarding a cock-fighting event, and found so much more, including a small child in the presence of cocaine and firearms," said Sheriff Grady Judd. "This is egregious on several levels. I'm glad we were able to shut this down."

Police arrested the resident Jonathan Adam Simouth, 32 of 107 Cesara Drive, Mulberry, on charges of armed trafficking in cocaine, owning animals for fighting, operating a property for animal fighting, illegal gambling, possession of drug paraphernalia and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Police arrested 13 other men on the charges of attending the fighting of animals, illegal gambling and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Authorities have identified these men as:

• Oscar Pineda, 22, Sefner
• Leonardo Vidal, 30, Plant City
• Luis Alberto Hernandez, 32, Tampa
• Jesus Mora, 42, Plant City
• Esteban Ibarra, 29, Dover
• Freddie Villicana, 20, Sefner
• Tory Flores, 24, Mulberry
• Juan Resendez, 27, Plant City
• Antonio Ramirez, 50, Plant City
• Juan Luis Miranda, 33, Lakeland
• Jose Hernandez, 50, Mulberry
• Alfred Trevino, Jr. 31, Plant City
• Miguel Lara, 32, Dover