Cedar Creek, Tx–A Bastrop County constable and officers from the sheriff’s department broke up what might have been a cock-fighting party in far southwestern Bastrop County on Saturday afternoon with 50 or more people in attendance.
Pct. 3 Constable Matt Henderson said he was in the area about 2 p.m. June 27 when he was asked to respond to a complaint on Royal Road, not far from the intersection of FM 812 and Old San Antonio Road. At the scene he found at least 25 autos and 50 or more people, along with evidence of cock fighting, including dead chickens, fighting gear and what appeared to be a fighting pit, said Henderson.
The constable said he called for backup and tried to keep as many of those in attendance as possible on the site.
Those responding to the incident included Sheriff Terry Pickering, Sgt. Richard Cole who heads the criminal investigation division, criminal investigator Arnold Gonzalez and half a dozen other deputies, according to sheriff’s department records.
Pedro Moreno Maldanado, 44, possibly the owner of the property on Royal Road, was jailed later Saturday on a charge of animal cruelty. He was released Sunday after posting $7,500 bail, according to jail records.
Sheriff’s department officials did not respond to requests for further information Tuesday.
Tags: Add new tag, Bastrop County, cock fighting
I wonder how much it cost the taxpayers of Bastrop County to field that many lawguys. A bunch, I suspect.
On the other hand, it is encouraging to note that serious Saturday afternoon crime in Bastrop County is seemingly limited to roosters fighting.
Were any roosters impounded? If so, who is taking care of them and who is paying for it? Are they available for adoption?
Doran, as I understand it the only roosters found on site were dead ones. Still interested in adoption?
What a revoltin development this is! No roosters available for adoption. Sigh….
Ok. So there were a lot of dead chickens laying around. If those 50 or so people were there for a fried chicken fest, and offed the chickens by wringing their necks and letting them flop around madly on the ground, like a bunch of chickens with their necks wrung, there would be nothing illegal about it. But if those people let the chickens kill each other…… Well, call out law enforcement, by all means.
I wonder, if the necks were wrung, and bets were laid on which chicken would expire first, and which second, and which would flop around with the most style, would there be a gambling offense involved?
I, too, find this a fascinating topic for speculation. But you’re the lawyer, far better informed in the highways and byways of legal distinctions than I. For what it’s worth, Constable Henderson reported no evidence of gambling. He said he looked for it, and I’ve no doubt he did so.
I suggested that the lucky ones had simply stuffed the winnings into a pocket before hitting the woods when he showed up. Matt didn’t respond to my prompt.Not his place to speculate.
In re another point you raise: I clearly recall my mother executing a chicken for Sunday lunch (or dinner, depending on the local nomenclature). She frequently put a broomstick across its neck on the ground, seized its feet and puled hard enough to separate the head from the yummy parts. Yes, there was some subsequent running around and some effusion of blood. Afterward she and my sister would pluck the feathers and singe the skin before committing the bird, perhaps further dismembered, to the skillet or deep fat fryer.
Should someone have called the cops? Perhaps the neighbors didn’t have a telephone, or the constabulary didn’t work weekends.I do know this: the livers, drumsticks and short legs tasted pretty good, especially if accompanied by garden squash, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers and light bread rolls. Yum!
Did anyone have the insight to freeze any of the non evidence for later preperation and consumption???