Dog fighting ring investigation in Chicago suburb leads to 2 arrests: 'Most disturbing'

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Billy Walker and Yachia Austin | Kankakee County Sheriff's Office

PEMBROKE TOWNSHIP, Ill. - A man and a woman were arrested in connection with a dog fighting ring in suburban Chicago.

What we know:

Kankakee County Sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant over the weekend at a property in Pembroke Township.

Billy Walker, 45, was charged with two counts of animal torture, two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and 18 counts of dogfighting. Yachia Austin, 43, was charged with manufacturing/delivery of 400-900 grams of fentanyl and two counts of aggravated fleeing/eluding. 

Walker was released from custody after a Kankakee County judge denied the state's petition to detain him. Austin remains in custody at the Jerome Combs Detention Center pending trial.

What we don't know:

Officials did not list the street where the dog-fighting ring took place or the next court date for either of the suspects.

It was not immediately clear how many dogs were abused or if any further charges are pending.

What they're saying:

"This investigation uncovered some of the most disturbing and inhumane treatment of animals that our investigators have encountered," Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey said in a statement. "The evidence recovered from this property, including makeshift dog fighting pits, weighted training collars, spring poles, treadmills modified to force dogs to run continuously and devices designed to stimulate aggressive prey drive, paints a horrifying picture of prolonged cruelty and abuse."