(St. Paul, Neb.) - On Wednesday, Howard County Judge Tami Schendt sentenced four remaining suspects, including Eduardo Alcantar from Columbus, and Jorge Reyes Jimenez, Jorge Rodriguez, and Jesus Serrano Sanchez, all from Grand Island, in connection to a Howard County cockfighting ring.
All four pleaded no contest to the charge of misdemeanor possession of animal fighting paraphernalia and were fined $500. This follows the prior conviction and fine of six other suspects. Initially, all 10 suspects were charged with felonies before pleading guilty to the lesser charge.
In December, Howard County Sheriff Tom Busch announced the arrest of these ten men after a 911 caller reported a rooster fighting event in a rural area southeast of St. Paul.
According to the arrest affidavit, a deputy discovered roosters with razors attached to their legs, blood in a makeshift pen, crates with numbers labeling the roosters, a bucket of bloody water, and several roosters after obtaining a search warrant for the barn. Eduardo Alcantar confessed that cockfighting had taken place in the barn. Some of the men tried to leave but were stopped by the Sheriff.
Deputies found seven roosters, one of which later died from injuries suffered during one of the fights.
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