02-06-2025
Jockey arrested for using shocking device on racehorse
Delta Downs in Vinton. (Special to the American Press)
A Vinton racehorse jockey has been arrested for using a battery-operated shocking device on his horse.
Louisiana State Police Trooper Matt Gaspard said 41-year-old Ricardo Hernandez-Perez of Vinton was arrested Saturday after an investigation into allegations of cheating by horse jockeys at the Delta Downs Racetrack and Casino.
Gaspard said after Saturday's races concluded, detectives conducted post-race checks of each jockey. During one encounter, Hernandez-Perez attempted to flee from detectives while discarding the shocking device into one of the horse stalls.
Hernandez-Perez was subsequently arrested and processed into the Calcasieu Correctional Center for violation of LA RS 4:175D – unnatural stimulation of horses.
'The law prohibits anyone from possessing or using devices like electric batteries that can unnaturally stimulate, depress, or excite a racehorse before or during a race, including within racetrack stables, sheds, or other buildings on racetrack grounds where eligible horses are kept,' Gaspard said.
Anyone wishing to report illegal gaming activity may anonymously report information through the Louisiana State Police online reporting system by visiting and clicking on Report Suspicious or Criminal Activity, or calling the LSP Fusion Center Hotline at 1-800-434-8007.
