Jurames Goulart had become “obsessed” with the finches he allegedly kept in two sheds at his Ripton Road home.
People who knew about the bird fighting ring centered at the home were frightened by Goulart’s “increasingly violent” behavior toward anyone who might jeopardize his birds.
Witnesses told police they feared being hurt or killed if anyone found out who told police about the bird fights that took place at his home.
Those are some of the accusations leveled in the search warrant police used to raid Goulart’s house July 26.
The warrant was unsealed Thursday. A cell phone message was left Thursday afternoon with Goulart.
The warrant outlines four complaints made to police prior to the raid, where 19 men were arrested on animal cruelty charges.
Police officers seized 150 birds, mostly saffron finches.
Police said they entered the home just as two birds were about to battle in a small cage. The men will be arraigned in Derby Superior Court Aug. 10.
A list of items seized by Shelton police:
SheltBirdSeized
A Handful of Complaints
In the months leading up to the raid, four different people had expressed concerns to different police departments about the bird fights.
The first complaint came in late April, when a Seymour police officer received a tip from a citizen that illegal bird fights were being held at the Shelton home.
The tip launched the investigation.
Then, in early July, state police received an anonymous text message through the department’s “Text-a-Tip” program that there would be a bird fight at the home on July 26.
Days before the fight was slated to happen, a different person came to the Shelton Police Department to tell police about the fight, too.
That person came forward “due to concerns that the Goularts have two young sons…(who are) present during the fights,” according to the warrant.
“This person believes the sons are subjected to violent behavior at the bird fights and fears for their safety,” the search warrant said.
Police also spoke with a juvenile probation officer who worked with the Goulart family.
The officer said the probation office had recently learned of the bird fighting matches as well and they feared the effects it might have on the children.
The warrant also alleges bird fighting was taking place at an undisclosed location in Danbury, where many of the suspects are from.
“Killing Machines”
The search warrant also outlines the bloody and sometimes bizarre details surrounding the bird fights at the Goulart home.
Guests began arriving as early as 5:30 a.m., coming from as far as Massachusetts and New Jersey.
The fights usually started at 7 a.m. and lasted a few of hours, witnesses told police.
Some of the men brought their own birds, and participants sold, traded and gambled before the fights even began.
Afterward, the people would party at the home, the warrant said.
One witness told police Goulart stored the birds in two sheds located on his property.
In each fight, one or either bird was seriously hurt of killed, the warrant said. The witness said Goulart would often kill birds that survived, but were suffering from their injuries.
In the sheds, the witness said, Goulart kept additional birds used for training the fighting birds.
Police found several different bird vitamins and bird antibiotics at the scene on the day they raided the home.
“Through breeding, feeding, training, steroids, and vitamins, the (birds) become killing machines for people’s entertainment,” the warrant says about bird fighting in general.
On July 26, police also confiscated $8,004 in cash, two computers, 130 bird cages, bird food and “one container containing an unknown white powdery substance.”
Police are still investigating, said Sgt. Robert Kozlowsky Thursday. He said they are looking into the immigration status of the men arrested. One, Gilson Goncalves, was found to be in the country illegally.
Kozlowsky said the police department is also awaiting toxicology reports for substances found at the scene, to determine if any steroids were involved in the incident and to see if any drugs were involved. At this point no other charges have been brought, Kozlowsky said.
The Birds
The birds have been taken in by the Department of Agriculture, which will look after them while the case works its way through court. Officials from the department were unavailable for comment Thursday due to a department picnic, but a recording set up to distribute information about the finches said none of the birds would be available for adoption until the criminal charges were settled.
Immediately after the arrests, officials said some birds may have to be put down due to eye injuries.
