Wednesday night in small-town Florida: deputies found cockfighting, cocaine and a kid
Cockfighting doesn’t stop for anything — not even a global pandemic.
Fourteen people were arrested at a gambling and cockfighting function in Central Florida, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. They were all charged with attending the fighting of animals, illegal gambling and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Deputies responded to a mobile home late Wednesday evening and discovered men gambling at a table. They also noticed a 10-year-old boy, bags of cocaine on the table and what appeared to be evidence of cockfighting, a PCSO media release says.
“We received a call for service regarding a cockfighting event, and found so much more, including a small child in the presence of cocaine and firearms,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “This is egregious on several levels. I’m glad we were able to shut this down.”
Detectives acquired a search warrant for the property where they later found seven dead roosters about 25 yards away from the gambling table, a scale for roosters to weigh in and chairs for spectators, according to PSCO. A dismantled fighting ring was discovered, the inside and sides of which were covered with fresh feathers.
Investigators also stumbled upon a shed containing rubber boxing gloves, knives and performance-enhancing drugs — all used in various aspects of cockfighting. A nearby metal trash bin held the charred remains of numerous roosters, deputies say.
A total of 481 roosters and chickens were removed from the property. Detectives also confiscated a loaded AK-47, 12-gauge shotgun and a trafficking amount of cocaine.
Jonathan Simouth, who lived on the property, told detectives that a cock fight had taken place earlier followed by the gambling with dice. Simouth, 32, faces several charges including armed trafficking, owning animals for fighting and possession of paraphernalia, according to PCSO.
Jail records show Simouth posted his $53,250 bond on Saturday.
A review of his criminal record yielded a prior aggravated assault conviction in 2013.
The boy was given back to his parents who were neighbors of Simouth but didn’t attend the event, deputies say.
