By Samantha Smith
A Kyle man was arrested for a cockfighting charge stemming from an investigation that started back in March 2016.
Hays County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Joshua Rodriguez, 23, of Kyle, on the charge of cockfighting, which is a state jail felony.
Rodriguez was booked on May 11 and was released on May 12 on a $5,000 bond for the felony offense. A court date is still pending.
According to the arresting affidavit, Hays County Animal Control Officer Adam Halstead was dispatched to the 800 block of Lilac Street in Kyle on March 3 on a report of animal cruelty.
A complainant reported to Halstead that roosters were tied to a fence and some were hanging upside down.
Halstead arrived and observed roughly a dozen roosters on the property that were tied to their roosts and several roosters had their cones cut off.
Halstead met with Rodriguez to address the improperly confined roosters. Rodriguez said, according to the affidavit, the roosters were tied up to prevent them from running away, but assured Halstead that he would fix the roosts.
According to the arresting affidavit, the roosters were seized from Rodriguez’s property on April 21st after the complainant took photos of roosters hanging from sticks outside their roosts. They also provided video of Rodriguez and another male, identified as his brother, Israel, enticing the roosters to attack each other.
The roosters had their cones and spurs removed.
Investigating officer Nelson Wray spoke with Rodriguez on the phone on April 21 who wanted to know why his roosters were taken from his property.
Rodriguez claimed that he allowed the roosters to kick each other, but protects the birds with leather straps that cover the spurs to prevent them from hurting each other.
Rodriguez told Wray that he did not fight the roosters with “knives or such.”
Israel was interviewed by Wray April 21 at the Kyle substation and admitted to training and selling roosters intended for cockfighting with his brother. Joshua refused to make a statement regarding the charge on April 28.
