Cops bust Kensington cockfight in progress

One person was arrested early Saturday after police and humane law enforcement officers raided a cockfight in Kensington.

The bust occurred around 3 a.m. on the 2900 block of E Street, officials said.

Acting on a tip received through its anti-cruelty hotline, the Pennsylvania SPCA coordinated with Philadelphia police, who responded to the property.

There, officers observed what authorities are calling a "large-scale cockfight" in progress. Though dozens of participants and spectators scattered, police were able to arrest the property's owner, a PSPCA spokeswoman said.

After obtaining a search warrant for the location, PSPCA humane law enforcement officers removed one dead rooster and 18 live birds, along with cockfighting paraphernalia, officials said. The animals were taken to the PSPCA's Erie Avenue shelter for forensic evaluation.

"Cockfighting is a brutal crime and is still a serious problem in our community," humane law enforcement director George Bengal said in a statement. "It's a felony in Pennsylvania and we will hold those who harmed these birds responsible."

Officials said cruelty charges are pending against the owner, whose identity had not yet been released Saturday afternoon.