Yucaipa Cockfighting Operation Busted

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department personnel on Monday moved in on a cockfighting operation in Yucaipa, detaining 38 observers or participants, of whom two were arrested and charged. In addition, some 200 gaming cocks were seized, along with money and 25 firearms.
 On January 19, 2025, at approximately 10:02 a.m., deputies from the Yucaipa Station were dispatched to the 32000 block of Avenue E in response to reports of illegal “cockfighting” occurring on the property.
When deputies arrived, approximately 50 vehicles were seen on the property. Shortly thereafter, a large number of those assembled on the property got into a majority of the cars present on property and began to drive away. When deputies attempted to stop one of the vehicles, the driver, later identified as 33-year-old Jose Luis Adame of Riverside, accelerated the car toward a patrol unit. The deputy avoided being struck. When he sought to initiate a traffic stop, a pursuit ensued. The vehicle stopped near 16th Street and Yucaipa Boulevard where Adame and three passengers were taken into custody. Six live roosters were found in the rear cargo area. Adame was arrested and his vehicle was impounded.
Deputies detained 33 other people identified as spectators on the property where approximately 250 roosters were kept, and a fighting ring with a scoreboard and steel talons were found. Sheriff’s Aviation observed a subject hiding inside of a truck at the rear of the property. Carlos Romero was found lying down inside the truck with seven live roosters in boxes. He was detained and found to have a large sum of U.S. currency on his person and a hidden Ruger semi-automatic handgun inside the truck.
Adame was arrested for P.C. 245 and CVC 2800.2, and Romero, 36 of Perris, was arrested for PC 597 and PC 29805. Both subjects were booked at Central Detention Center.
The San Bernardino County Rural Task Force responded and authored a search warrant for the property. Additional steel talons were located and approximately 24 firearms were seized from a large safe. Yucaipa City Code Enforcement responded and red tagged several buildings including a trailer on the property. San Bernardino County Animal Control recovered approximately 17 dead roosters, seized eight live roosters, and tagged 61 boxed roosters.

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