Forty-five roosters euthanized in Soledad cockfighting bust.

There are a few ways to measure the toll of a cockfighting bust on the outskirts of Soledad Saturday night.

The number of suspects: 42. The number of fighting roosters euthanized due to injuries: 45. 

Monterey County sheriff's deputies received a tip about a a cockfight scheduled for Saturday at Gonzalo Manriquez's Metz Road property. Deputies, accompanied by California Highway Patrol and SPCA officials, responded to the property at about 6:45pm.

A CHP helicopter conducting overhead surveillance confirmed a cockfight was in progress, and law enforcement officials moved in. 

People tried to flee the scene, but many were apprehended, leading to 42 arrests. The suspects were released from the scene. 

Misdemeanor charges will be recommended to the district attorney for being a spectator at the site of animal fighting. 

Manriquez was cited for permitting cockfighting on premises under his control, also a misdemeanor. 

SPCA officials conducted health and welfare checks on the fighting birds, and determined 45 of them had sustained significant injuries and had to be euthanized, according to the sheriff's office.   

Cockfighting is illegal, and county officials struggled for years to look for a way to crack down on large cockfighting operatings before they happened. Until now, the maximum number of allowable roosters on a property has been 499. 

After years of revisions, a controversial ordinance was approved 3-2 by the County Board of Supervisors in December. It sets the cap on roosters at five, but allows for more if the owner passes inspection to prove the animals are well-kept and not being bred for fighting.