FOWL PLAY

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Sister Dragged Into Bizarre Police Probe

Police raided a property owned by her partner, where they say they found hundreds of birds allegedly bred for illegal fights.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister has been pulled into an unsettling police investigation after officers raided a property owned by her longtime boyfriend as part of a probe into an alleged illegal cockfighting operation, according to The Daily Mail. Police searched three properties in southern Brazil, including one owned by businessman Alexandre Bertolucci, the partner of Ronaldo’s sister, Katia Aveiro, after receiving tips about the alleged breeding and training of roosters for cockfighting. Investigators said they found about 1,500 Mura roosters housed in cramped cages, with many allegedly showing signs of neglect and mutilation consistent with birds prepared for fighting. No arrests have been made, and authorities say the investigation remains ongoing. Bertolucci’s attorney denied any wrongdoing, insisting the property is a legitimate poultry breeding operation overseen by a veterinarian and saying investigators found no evidence of criminal activity at his client’s premises. There is no suggestion that Aveiro was involved in any alleged unlawful activity.