On January 12, 2024, a Calvert County District Court Judge convicted Luis Alberto Hinojosa Morales, 36, of Huntingtown, of 10 felony animal cruelty charges relating to illegal cockfighting.
In August 2022, neighbors reported to Calvert County Animal Control that Morales was keeping a large number of roosters on his property and that they were causing a disturbance. When Animal Control Officers visited the premises, they detected signs that the animals were being groomed for cockfighting. They also saw implements associated with cockfighting operations. A court-ordered search warrant was obtained ant the animals were removed from the property.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 7, 2024. Morales is facing up to 30 years of incarceration. Following the verdict on January 12th, Judge Robyn E. Riddle revoked Morales’ bond and ordered him held at the Calvert County Detention Center.