Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowSix people were arrested and about 200 diseased birds will be euthanized after law enforcement searched a game farm while investigating gamecock fighting in south central Indiana.
The Indiana Gaming Commission issued warrants Tuesday to search Red Wheel Game Farm with help from state police, Seymour police and sheriff’s offices in Jennings and Jackson counties.
Saul Becerill Martinez, 52, Thalia Aurora Martinez, 29, Jose Sandoval-Martinez, 41, Hollie Martinez, 51, Cruz Jeziel Araujo-Rivera, 31, and Diego Martinez-Becerril, 54, all were arrested by officers from the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department. They each face one to several felony charges. Warrants tied to the case list a range of charges. They include purchasing an animal for use in an animal fighting contest, conspiracy to commit professional gambling, promoting an animal fighting contest, tax evasion, and corrupt business influence.
A gaming commission representative said Tuesday that the defendants were all in custody.
Officers discovered the birds during the search, according to a press release from the Indiana Gaming Commission, which enforces Indiana’s laws pertaining to gambling.
The search stemmed from an investigation started nearly a year ago by the commission’s law enforcement division, which says it is also investigating similar operations in the state. Officers aim to send a message “that those who engage in such barbaric and illegal activities will be held accountable in Indiana,” Commission Law Enforcement Superintendent Brock Pilgrim said in a press release.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.