Calif. authorities find 1,200 birds suspected of being used in cockfighting

Authorities raid suspected cockfighting complex

MONTEBELLO, Calif. — Authorities have raided a complex in Southern California containing some 1,200 birds suspected of being used for cockfighting.

Aaron Reyes, a captain with the regional animal control authority said Tuesday officials served a search warrant a day earlier at a four-acre property in Montebello, east of Los Angeles.

Animal control officers and investigators found blood-splattered fighting rings, coops and razors that are tied to birds’ legs in cockfights.

Reyes said some of the birds were seized by animal control officers but most remain on the property and will be cared for while authorities put a case together.

Authorities last month seized 500 cockfighting birds in raids in San Diego and Orange counties.

Information from: Los Angeles Times, www.latimes.com