On Saturday, January 24, 2026, District 6 patrol officers responded to a home on Jake Road after a neighbor complained about the rooster fights. Officers arrived and found an active rooster fight happening in the backyard. A large group of people watched over the pen, holding cash and drinking alcohol, while a referee monitored the fight.
 
When these individuals saw the officers, they started to run. Patrol officers caught up with seven men initially. A secondary search, executed by Narcotics and Vice detectives, discovered four additional suspects. Three were hiding in the rafters of a shed, another under the bed of a camper.
 
The 11 men arrested are:
·         Alejandro Gutierrez Garcia, 35
·         Ariel Villavicencio Ruiz, 49
·         Omar Bonet Suarez, 51
·         Raydel Hernandez Lorenzo, 46
·         Ariel Rivero Santana, 53
·         Pablo Marrero Pena, 37
·         Sergio Pupo Cespedes, 36
·         Osvaldo Acosta, 61
·         Hector Perez Gonzalez, 34
·         Angel Sabater Mora, 42
·         Damian Garcia Olivera, 50
 
Four of them (Cespedes, Sabater, Gonzalez, and Gutierrez Garcia) are in the country illegally.
 
Patrol officers called the JSO Vice Unit detectives to the scene to continue the investigation. Detectives found evidence of a large rooster fighting ring, including dozens of metal fighting spurs, deceased roosters, cages, and $13,600 in cash.
 
Officers located about 130 roosters on the property. Tragically, these birds pose a significant risk of Avian disease and cannot be rehabilitated because they were raised to be aggressive and fight. After careful consideration from veterinarians, JSO and Animal Control and Protective Services made the decision to humanely euthanize them. The decision was not made lightly.
 
“This is animal cruelty, these guys have turned peaceful animals into foot-tall killing machines for sport and that’s unacceptable,” said JSO Vice Sergeant Guy Daniels, who responded to the scene. “These birds are plucked from the waist down, metal spurs are glued to their claws, and they’re thrown into a ring for a vicious fight to the death.”
 
JSO works closely with Animal Control and Protective Services on investigations like this. 

"When the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office dismantled a brutal cockfighting operation, they sent a clear message that cruelty will not be tolerated in Jacksonville,” said ACPS Chief Michael Bricker. “I’m grateful for their partnership and their commitment to stopping inhumane treatment of animals. Cases like this don’t come together without care and teamwork.”
 
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office will not tolerate anyone using animals for their own entertainment, especially in such a cruel way. Detectives will continue to work this case to make sure all 11 men face the consequences of their actions. Additionally, the agency would like to thank the person who called in the complaint which prompted the investigation.

To access the arrest reports, booking photos, and video from the scene, please visit the Published Media Requests page on JSO's Public Records Portal and search "M501274" in the Reference No. section. 

To view the post regarding this arrest on JSO's social media plaftorms, please click on one of the following links: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | X