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Cesar Cerda Mercedes Ruiz Monterrubio Cerda Cody Eugene Grimes |
Trained dogs to fight to the
death for money |
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Cesar Cerda,
age 26, was sentenced to a seven-year state prison term in July, 1999, after
pleading no contest to 63 counts of animal cruelty, torture and other charges. Cerda earned up to $5,000 a month from bettors that watched
the dogs fight in a bloodstained pit.
In December 1998, authorities
seized 55 pitbull dogs from Cerda's home. Also found
was training equipment, treadmills and chains. The fights were captured on
videotape.
Cerda was a veterinary technician before his
conviction.
Mercedes Ruiz Monterrubio
Cerda, Cesar's wife, who authorities said was largely
a spectator in her husband's elaborate dogfighting enterprise plead no contest
to 4 misdemeanor charges in exchange for a maximum 1 year sentence in the
county jail.
Grimes, age 21, plead guilty to
burglary and no contest to conspiracy in stealing 18 of 55 pitbulls that were
being held as evidence in
The pitbulls were recovered
shortly after they were stolen in December 1998.
All the dogs were
euthanized. Not a single dog was afforded the opportunity to be behavior
evaluated for adoptability by the Sacramento County Animal Care facility.
At the time the dogs were
euthanized, the Sacramento County Animal Care and Regulation was in violation
of
References:
The San Diego
Union-Tribune
Channel 6000
KOIN-TV News
The Associated
Press
The
The