Man killed during illegal rooster fight in Merced County identified

Andrew Kuhn
·2 min read

The Merced County Sheriff Coroner’s Office has identified a man who was shot and killed during an illegal rooster fight in Merced County on Friday as 48-year-old Miguel Martinez-Mendoza, according to Deputy Michael Domingue.

According to authorities, deputies initially responded to the area of Lincoln and Westside boulevards, just south of Livingston, shortly before midnight for a report of shooting. The arriving deputies located an adult male suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

A short time later, deputies responded to a report of a person who was shot at a residence in the 4000 block of Sunset Drive in Livingston. Arriving deputies located Martinez-Mendoza deceased. According to authorities, the shooting appears to have stemmed from an altercation during an illegal rooster fight event at the location.

According to deputies, multiple rounds were fired during the altercation including at least one round fired by Martinez-Mendoza, who was ultimately struck by return gunfire. Domingue said investigators spoke with attendees and have recovered all firearms believed to be involved in the incident.

Authorities said the gunshot victim who was located in the area of Lincoln Boulevard and Westside Boulevard appears to have been struck by gunfire while at the illegal rooster fighting event.

The Merced County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services Bureau responded to the incident and is investigating the illegal rooster fighting. Authorities said the 33-year-old owner of the property was arrested on suspicion of felony cruelty to animals. No suspects have been arrested or charged in connection with the deadly shooting, according to Domingue.

Investigators are working to finalize the investigation before turning over their findings to the Merced County District Attorney’s Office, according to authorities. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Merced County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Bureau at 209-385-7472.