Texas Cockfighters Use Children's Party as Cover

A Texas cockfighting ring used a children’s party as cover in a bid to throw sheriff’s deputes off their rooster tails. But the deputies acted on an anonymous tip and raided the party, where they found dead and dying birds just feet from where the kids were playing, Fox’s Houston affiliate reports.

“The children's party is believed to have only been a front to the organized criminal activity taking place just feet away from the children," said Capt. Rex Evans of the Liberty County Sheriff's Department.

Several suspects tried to flee by car when the deputies arrived at the party in Dayton, 40 miles north of Houston, on Saturday. One smashed straight through a wooden fence while others crashed into each other in their haste to get away from the scene. Two people were arrested and police say more arrests are expected.

"It's one of the largest cockfighting rings we've seen in our county," said "We found roosters alive and many had been injured from fighting," Evans said.

The party, complete with picnic tables and a waterslide, was in full swing when the cops arrived. The raid left the children in tears, reports Fox.

Among the dead fowl, deputies and officers from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals found 48 live birds, many armed with steel blades attached to their beaks. Officers also took a horse and two dogs, said to be in poor condition, from the property.