DOLTON | Cook County police were questioning eight people Thursday morning after officers busted a dogfighting ring Wednesday night in Dolton.
At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dolton police received a tip of possible dogfighting in an industrial park in the 1500 block of 142nd Street, said TaQuoya Kennedy, spokeswoman for Dolton.
Dolton police responded to a building in the industrial park and found many cars at the scene and some had pit bulls inside, Kennedy said in a news release. The officers noticed windows to an overhead door were covered in cardboard. One window had a slight opening through which officers saw about 15 males standing around a make-shift wooden ring, the release states.
The front door opened and quickly slammed shut, with someone inside alerting the others to the police outside.
The lights were shut off and the suspects scattered. Some ran toward the woods while others ran toward the expressway, the release states.
Officers took two people into custody and contacted the Cook County Sheriff's Department for assistance.
A sweep of the building led to the discovery of six people hiding in the rafters, said Frank Bilecki, spokesman for the Cook County Sheriff's Department.
All eight were being questioned Thursday at Cook County sheriff's police headquarters in Maywood, Bilecki said. No charges have been filed.
"Dolton did a great job," Bilecki said. "Sometimes when departments get tips like this, they wait and call us, but they responded quickly."
Kennedy said Dolton police found four pit bulls showing signs of improper care and abuse related to dogfighting.
It was unclear where the animals were being held Thursday morning. Cook County sheriff's police are continuing the investigation.
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