A New Jersey man is facing charges for attending a cockfight earlier this year at a large-scale animal fighting operation in Plumstead.
Mario Aldape-Palma, 56, of Princeton, was one of more than a dozen men who reportedly fled after police investigating an animal abuse tip broke up a fight on Feb. 18.
Plumstead police have charged Aldape-Palma with attending an animal fighting event, a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. He is also charged with fleeing police, a misdemeanor.
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Aldape-Palma was arraigned on May 17 and released from the Bucks County Correctional Center after posting $15,000 bail. According to the court docket, he had no legal representative on May 21.
Police attempted to arrest Aldape-Palma, who they said was a spectator, outside the garage where the cockfights were held, but he ignored commands to stop, according to a probable cause statement.
Aldape-Palma allegedly fled the property in his vehicle, but officers were able to capture his vehicle registration and a driver’s license photo of him.
The photo matched the description of the man who tried to stop police, the affidavit said.
Aldape-Palma is the fourth person arrested in connection with the animal fighting at the 10-acre property in the 1000 block of North Easton Road.
Manfid Duran, 49, and his wife and Mara Duran, 50, face more than 100 felony and summary charges, including possession of fighting equipment and animal neglect.
The couple waived their right to a preliminary hearing on the charges. After the arrests, they were also evicted from the property they were renting.
Cesar Cordova-Morales, 21, of Chester County, also waived his right to a hearing on misdemeanor and misdemeanor charges of animal fighting and possession of fighting paraphernalia.
The Durans and Cordova-Morales will appear in Bucks County District Court next month for their formal arraignment.
The Bucks County SPCA, which filed charges against the Durans, removed 49 roosters, hens and pullets from the property that were living in unhealthy and unsafe conditions.
Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com
This article originally appeared in Bucks County Courier Times: NJ man who attended cockfight in Plumstead charged with felony
