KOUNTZE — Deputies in Hardin County made three arrests for dog fighting and expect to make more arrests soon.
Jacoby Bass, 22, of Silsbee, Abdul Ramon Bluitt, 41, of Beaumont and Henry Barnes III, 20 of Kountze, were all arrested Friday morning in connection with dog fighting ion the county according to a news release from the Hardin County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies have issued warrants for three more suspects and expect to make more arrests within a week the release said.
The investigation into a dog fighting ring in the county began after reports of dog fighting southeast of Kountze surfaced on September 2, 2018.
Over the course of the past few weeks deputies have gathered evidence as well as eye-witness accounts of the criminal activity related to animal cruelty and dog fighting according to the release.
12News received several videos at that time of dogs fighting in a ring. A public video shared on Snapchat showed several people crowded around a closed area.
The video appeared to be taken near Shadow Lane and Haynes Loop near Highway 327.
A woman who lives off Haynes Loop told 12News in early September she heard dogs barking in a wooded area behind her home over the weekend but she didn’t think twice until she saw a post on social media about the dog fights.
"I heard all the dogs barking and I didn't have the chance to investigate or see what was going on," Sharon Haynes told 12News at the time.
The arrests began Friday morning and deputies say they expect to make more arrests in the next week or so the release said.