Rooster boosters.jpg

Brandon Michael LeBouef, left, and Santos Dardar were arrested Monday after allegedly throwing roosters they'd stolen from an area farm from their vehicle while Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's deputies pursued them on I-20/59. The face charges of first degree theft, evading police and resisting arrest. (Tuscaloosa County Jail)

-- In a bizarre take on the classic criminal technique of ditching evidence before being caught with it, two Louisiana men tossed several stolen roosters from their car while being chased by deputies on I-20/59 just after midnight Monday, according to the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office.

Lt. Andy Norris confirmed Tuesday morning that a deputy tried to stop the driver of an SUV on Skyland Boulevard, but the driver took off for the interstate. Officers pursued, and the men tossed a box of the birds out of the car during the chase, killing several of the animals. The vehicle took Exit 68, and its occupants abandoned the vehicle shortly after.

Deputies worked with the Tuscaloosa Police Department to close off the area and arrested two men soon after on charges of evading police and on suspicion of the theft of the roosters.

Police set about recovering the farm fowl and found 54 in all, some from the tossed box and others still in the vehicle. It was determined that they had been stolen in the area earlier, and the 38 survivors were sent to the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter to await recovery by their owner. Sixteen of the birds were killed.

The two men,

Brandon Michael LeBouef

and

Santos Dardar

, were charged with first-degree theft of property and booked in the Tuscaloosa County Jail. Dardar, the driver, also faces charges of attempting to elude police and resisting arrest.

A volunteer at the animal shelter said Tuesday morning that the owner of the birds has recovered the survivors. Norris said there is no evidence the birds had been involved in cockfighting, which has been illegal in Alabama since 1896. However, it's not illegal to raise, train or trade roosters.

The alleged rooster boosters remain in the county jail pending bail that, when combined, is just short of $70,000.