It all started early Tuesday afternoon in a mobile home park on Oakton drive. That's just off Highway 119 in Springfield.
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| Simone Lamar |
"You don't normally find this in your own backyard," explains David Ehsanipoor, PIO of the Effingham County Sheriff's Department.
What Effingham County Sheriff's deputies found in this quiet neighborhood was an apparent dogfighting training spot.
"The only reason we are out here is because a work crew happened to find it," said Ehsanipoor.
That work crew was prison inmates clearing brush from the wooded area behind this trailer. There they found the remains of a dog, and quickly called 911.
"When deputies arrived they located the deceased dog," pointed out Ehsanipoor. "And next to the house or behind the residence they located several items that are used for dogfighting."
Those items included various cages, chains, a treadmill to train the dogs, vitamins and steroids along with used syringes, and what investigators are calling a "rape device", for trapping and breeding female dogs.
There were also 4 dogs on the scene, at least one with various cuts and bruises, possibly the result of fights.
"This is where some of the dogs are being bred and taught to fight in," said deputies. "But we believe they're probably being taken to another location, in or out of this county, but in a rural area, to fight."
As investigators continued to comb the scene, a woman, who said she lived in the mobile home, showed up and began explaining herself to deputies.
"That's when I called my homeboy over and he put the dog in a plastic bag and said because he is already dead."
After just a few minutes, investigators listened, and then had their say.
"You have the right to remain silent."
"Oh no, I'm going to jail."
After we left the scene, 26-year old Simone Lamar was officially arrested and charged with dogfighting and cruelty to animals.
Neighbors tell News 3 the dogs actually belonged to Lamar's boyfriend, but he's already been in jail for a couple months on unrelated charges.
Investigators say they expect to make more arrests soon.
(WSAV - Oct 24, 2012)
