PALMDALE, Calif.—Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies arrested 12 men suspected of staging or participating in dog fights and seized eight animals in a raid in the high desert, a lieutenant said today.

The arrests came in response to a tip that led deputies to a home in the 8900 block of Avenue T-12 in the Littlerock area near Palmdale on Saturday evening. Deputies raided the property about 7:30 p.m. “just as they were getting ready to weigh dogs,” Lt. Larry Gregg said. “It’s nice to (stop it) before they get to fighting.”

Arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty and dog fighting were:

• • Herman Ceasar, 62, and Kevin Bernard Thomas, 46, of San Bernardino;
• • George Allen Jones, 60, of Lancaster;
• • Jeffrey Reyes Tedtaotao, 36, of Bellflower;
• • Paul Manuel Wilhite, 48, and Miguel Angel Leon, 37, of Littlerock;
• •  Adan Manzo, 36, of Palmdale;
• • Cornelius Bailey, 58, of Barstow and his son Cornelius Bailey, III, 35, of Compton;
• • Jeremy Maril Anderson,  43, of Victorville;
• • Theron Lee Mahone, 44, of Los Angeles; and
• • Julio A. Chavez, 47, of Orange.

All suspects were being held in lieu of $20,000 bail each. Wilhite, the resident of the location, was additionally booked on three outstanding traffic warrants totaling $199,000. The suspects will be arraigned Tuesday in the Antelope Valley station, according to a department statement.

The tip was received via the Humane Society’s Dog Fighting Tipline, Gregg said.

Three of dogs had obvious scars, he said. All were turned over to county animal control officers.

Deputies seized scales for weighing dogs, he said. On the property were a pit for fighting, three treadmills and “fight bars,” pieces of wood used to separate fighting dogs, Gregg said.

“There were medicines in the refrigerator inside the house to treat injuries, and six dogs were kept on chains on the dirt lot outside—not allowed near each other,” he said.

Under state law, the property owner can be charged with a felony for permitting dog-fighting on his or her property.