MEDIA RELEASE
Big Island police broke up two cockfights in Puna on Sunday (April 17).
The first was at a home on 38th Avenue in the Orchidland Estates subdivision. A crowd of more than 100 persons dispersed when Vice officers arrived on the scene, which included a makeshift arena behind the property’s main structure.
Christopher C. Velasco
Officers executed a search warrant and recovered 19 dead roosters and four live injured roosters. They also recovered 61.2 grams of dried processed marijuana “buds” packaged in distribution quantities
Police arrested 55-year-old Christopher C. Velasco, who lives at that address, and charged him with 23 counts of animal cruelty. His bail was set at $11,500.
The case is continuing pending further investigation of other persons involved in the illegal cockfighting operation.
The second cockfight was on Lehua Street in the Fern Acres subdivision. When officers arrived there, about 80 persons dispersed from behind a house with another makeshift arena. Vice officers recovered approximately 3.1 grams of crystal methamphetamine packaged for distribution that had been abandoned next to the arena.
Police ask than anyone with information about illegal cockfights call the Vice hotline at 934-VICE (934-8423).
There was a time we went on sundays to cockfights, food, socialization and entertainment, it was a family/friend day for many years…. now with things changing in Hawaii with laws being enforced, seems everyone I know is on parole/probation for doing what we use to do as a family…. now the enforcement is harsh and the punishments are over-kill …. anyone who wears animals fur/skins or eats their meat from a package really is no different than another other person who eats meat killed one way or another.