It was not a typical Saturday grocery run on Joliet's south side. A 39-year-old man is facing multiple charges after police say he repeatedly beat his pet rooster outside a neighborhood market, leaving the bird injured and now in the care of animal-control officers.
Officers arrested Francisco Arreola in the 600 block of Collins Street on allegations of aggravated animal cruelty and related offenses after witnesses flagged down police and pointed them to the scene.
Police response and arrest
According to CBS News, officers were dispatched around 3:46 p.m. Saturday to Gonzalez Fresh Produce at 652 Collins Street. When they arrived, they found Arreola near the store's south entrance, appearing intoxicated and holding a tan, black-and-white rooster that was attached to a rope leash. Police say he first provided a false identity before he was ultimately arrested without incident.
Witness accounts
Bystanders told police that Arreola struck the rooster several times while trying to shove it into a shopping cart, leaving visible cuts and bleeding on the bird's head, as reported by WGN. Witnesses said they flagged down officers, who then removed the injured animal from Arreola.
Rooster's condition and animal-control response
The rooster was taken into protective custody by a Joliet Township Animal Control officer and received veterinary care, according to CBS News. Police said Arreola told officers at one point that he was training the bird to fight, and later claimed he was teaching it to protect itself.
Charges and booking
Arreola is now charged with felony aggravated animal cruelty, misdemeanor cruelty to animals, an animals-in-entertainment violation and obstructing justice. Police also noted he had two active warrants out of Kane County. He was processed at the Joliet Police Department and then taken to the Will County Adult Detention Facility, according to WGN.
Context: Cockfighting and recent enforcement
Authorities in the Chicago suburbs have in recent years targeted illegal cockfighting and the possession of fighting birds, seizing roosters and related equipment in several investigations. A Fox 32 Chicago report from 2025 detailed a Plainfield case in which officers found multiple roosters and paraphernalia commonly used in cockfighting, underscoring ongoing enforcement across the region and illustrating the kinds of charges local prosecutors pursue when birds and fighting gear are involved, Fox 32 Chicago reported.
