Fighting Cocks and 4,000 Coconuts Get Three Miami Men Arrested

Three Miami men were arrested after their van was pulled over in the Keys and police found the vehicle stuffed with tons of cocks and nuts. Not only had the men stolen about 4,000 coconuts, they also had two roosters that appeared to be used for cockfighting locked in crates...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

June 29, 2011

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Three Miami men were arrested after their van was pulled over in the Keys and police found the vehicle stuffed with tons of cocks and nuts. Not only had the men stolen about 4,000 coconuts, they also had two roosters that appeared to be used for cockfighting locked in crates.

Monroe County Sheriff's deputies got a tip that Angel Aportela, 58; Martin Deglado, 56, and Adalberto Martin, also 56, were seen stealing coconuts from trees in a residential yard at about 2 p.m. yesterday. All three men live in Miami-Dade County.

According to NBC Miami, deputies approached the men, but they grabbed their nuts and jumped in a Dodge van. When police finally caught up with the suspects after they had parked at a c-store, they discovered more than 4,000 coconuts in the vehicle.

Somewhere under those 4,000 coconuts they also found two milk crates holding roosters that appeared to be used for cockfighting.

The men have been charged with grand theft and possession of animals used for fighting.

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