2 arrested in cockfighting case that began with a teen at school with a gun

WEST JORDAN — Two men accused of engaging in game fowl fighting, commonly referred to as cockfighting, were arrested Thursday in West Jordan.

And police say their monthslong investigation started because of a separate investigation where a teenager was removed from a high school for allegedly threatening to kill a teacher and was found on school property two months later with a gun.

Jose Velazquez-Rodriguez, 63, and Miguel Angel Garnica Oliva, 45, were arrested Thursday for investigation of game fowl fighting.

The investigation originated in January when a 16-year-old boy — who had been removed from Kearns High School and accused of threatening to kill a teacher and was not allowed on school property — was spotted back on campus, according to charging documents.

The teen had been kicked out of the school because of an incident in November when a teacher heard the boy using profanity in the hallway and asked him to watch his language. The teen “became defiant and stated that he could say whatever he wanted to” and then bumped the teacher and said, “I will kill you. … You are lucky you are a teacher,” according to charges filed in 3rd District Juvenile Court.

In January, after the teen had been “safe schooled,” meaning he was not allowed on school property, he was detained by school administrators who called police after he was spotted on campus. The boy was searched and a gun was found, the charges state. He was charged in juvenile court with possession of a gun by a restricted person, having a gun on school property, marijuana possession, trespassing and making a threat of violence.

At the time of his arrest, police were given permission to search the teen’s phone. Pictures and videos of “multiple handguns, marijuana usage and several marijuana plants, and fighting roosters in his backyard,” were found, as well as “several videos of illegal rooster fighting at an unknown location in West Jordan,” according to a search warrant affidavit.

Police searched the boy’s house in Kearns and seized two handguns. But the cockfighting investigation continued.

Unified police said they were able to locate some farm property in West Jordan where the owner rents parts of his land to livestock owners. It was also being used to train and fight roosters, according to police.

On Thursday, officers from the Unified and West Jordan police departments descended on the property with a search warrant and reported finding evidence of cockfighting. Police say the roosters were treated well when they were being trained, but then had blades attached to their feet and were forced to fight to the death with other roosters.

“Prior evidence was found that Miguel and Jose have been training the roosters to fight and (are) fighting their roosters on the property. Miguel and Jose have been using blades and hooks known as gaffs to place on the roosters’ natural spurs,” a police booking affidavit states. “When questioned, Miguel admitted to fighting his roosters to the death on some fights. Jose and Miguel both admitted to sparring the roosters to make them fight-ready.”

Police say they have collected numerous videos as evidence of cockfighting on the property.

Game fowl fighting is a class A misdemeanor as a first-time offense. Utah is the only Western state in which the charge is not a felony for a first offense.