The investigation of the cock fighting case that came to light on Saturday is still ongoing, according to Starke County Police. One piece of information that was released yesterday was that the house where the rooster contests were being held was being rented by John Mathews, Jr and Connie Clemans.
The home is owned by an unidentified couple who reside in Wanatah.
Four individuals allegedly involved with the cock fighting ring in Starke County underwent their initial hearing Wednesday at the Starke Circuit Court. Benjamin Villicana, 32; Francisco Reyes, 37; Juan Gonzales, 33; and Francisco Fernando Reyes, 41 all entered preliminary not guilty pleas for their charges of one count Animal Fighting Contest, a class D felony after having their rights read and explained to them in Spanish by a DVD played in the courtroom because of their lack of fluency with English. The rest of the court session was translated by an interpreter over the phone.
