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23 Arrested In Dogfighting Ring
Training Equipment, Fight Ring Housed At Indianapolis Home, Police Say
POSTED: 5:49 pm EDT August 7, 2010
UPDATED: 6:18 pm EDT August 8, 2010
INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis police arrested 23 people and seized several pit bulls, some of them injured, in a suspected dogfighting raid, the largest ring veteran police officers can remember.The arrests were made late Friday night and early Saturday morning after a search warrant was obtained for a home in the 3000 block of West 60th Street, on Indianapolis' northwest side, 6News' Rick Hightower reported.
Updated Slideshow:
Inside Dog Fighting Raid
Video:
Neighbors React
When officers went into the home, a fight was taking place in a ring in the garage, Lt. Jeff Duhamell said.Nine pit bulls, some of them scarred, scratched and bloodied, were removed from inside and outside the home, along with drugs, more than $10,000 cash, guns and fighting equipment, police said.All of those arrested, including men, women and one juvenile, were preliminarily charged with attending an animal fighting contest, a misdemeanor."They have that many arrests and have a location that is ... very sophisticated as far as what they were doing, the actual pit itself," said Indianapolis police Lt. Jeff Duhamell. "Our SWAT team hit it right about 10:30, and when they made entry, the actual fights were going on, which is, in itself, very rare."The home was equipped as a training area for the animals, complete with treadmills and steroids and hypodermic needles to inject the animals, police said.Investigators also seized several vehicles that were outside the home at the time of the raid."It was 30-something cops," said one neighbor, who didn't want to be identified. "They blocked the street off. Everybody was very surprised about that."6News attempted to speak with the occupants of the home Saturday afternoon, but no one came to the door. On Sunday, an occupant told 6News to get off the property.One of the men arrested during the raid, Jajuan Jones, claimed that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."As soon as I came to the garage door, they was lifting the garage door," he said.Neighbors were aghast about what police allege was happening so close to them."I don't know. What person does that?" said Paul Evans, who lives nearby. "This is a member of the family … I can't imagine it."
Video:
Neighbors React
When officers went into the home, a fight was taking place in a ring in the garage, Lt. Jeff Duhamell said.Nine pit bulls, some of them scarred, scratched and bloodied, were removed from inside and outside the home, along with drugs, more than $10,000 cash, guns and fighting equipment, police said.All of those arrested, including men, women and one juvenile, were preliminarily charged with attending an animal fighting contest, a misdemeanor."They have that many arrests and have a location that is ... very sophisticated as far as what they were doing, the actual pit itself," said Indianapolis police Lt. Jeff Duhamell. "Our SWAT team hit it right about 10:30, and when they made entry, the actual fights were going on, which is, in itself, very rare."The home was equipped as a training area for the animals, complete with treadmills and steroids and hypodermic needles to inject the animals, police said.Investigators also seized several vehicles that were outside the home at the time of the raid."It was 30-something cops," said one neighbor, who didn't want to be identified. "They blocked the street off. Everybody was very surprised about that."6News attempted to speak with the occupants of the home Saturday afternoon, but no one came to the door. On Sunday, an occupant told 6News to get off the property.One of the men arrested during the raid, Jajuan Jones, claimed that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."As soon as I came to the garage door, they was lifting the garage door," he said.Neighbors were aghast about what police allege was happening so close to them."I don't know. What person does that?" said Paul Evans, who lives nearby. "This is a member of the family … I can't imagine it."Copyright 2010 by TheIndyChannel.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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