Joliet man beat rooster outside store, said he was training it: police

JOLIET, Ill. - A suburban man was arrested after he was allegedly found beating a rooster outside of a store on Saturday afternoon.

What we know:

Francisco Arreola, 39, was charged with aggravated animal cruelty, misdemeanor cruelty to animals, animals in entertainment violation and obstruction of justice, according to the Joliet Police Department. He also had two active arrest warrants out of Kane County, police said.

Francisco Arreola (Joliet Police Department)

Officers responded to the produce store in the 600 block of Collins Street around 3:46 p.m. for a report of a man beating a rooster.

Arreola allegedly gave the officers a fake identity and appeared to be intoxicated, police said. He was holding a tan, black, and white rooster that had a rope leash tied to its leg. The rooster appeared to be injured with visible cuts, and it was bleeding at the top of its head and had blood on its feathers.

The suspect told officers the rooster was his pet and that he was training it to fight. He later changed his story and said he was trying to train the rooster to defend itself.

A witness told officers that Arreola hit the rooster multiple times after trying to place it into a shopping cart outside of the store.

Arreola was taken into custody without incident and then taken to the Will County Jail.

An officer from Joliet Township Animal Control took protective custody of the rooster.