Lake Elsinore Stores Cited For Selling Booze To Minors

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Authorities cited two Lake Elsinore store clerks who they claimed sold alcohol to minors and two adults who allegedly purchased alcohol for minors at the request of decoys in the Lake Elsinore area.

Names of those involved were not released.

Riverside County Sheriff's Department deputies and California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control agents said the Oct. 6 purchases were the result of a "decoy shoulder tap operation" and "minor decoy operation," the latter of which involves "minors who work under the direct supervision of deputies and agents."

Officials said the minors tried to buy alcohol from a total of five licensed retail establishments in Lake Elsinore. Those who allegedly completed the sales could face a fine of $250 or more and 24-32 hours of community service for a first violation, in addition to actions against the businesses' alcohol licenses, such as fines, license suspensions or having the license permanently taken away.

The "decoy shoulder tap operation," aimed at adult patrons who purchase alcohol on minors' behalf, consisted of minors who indicated their underage status in some way asking patrons to buy them alcohol. Adults who agreed were arrested by agents, cited and penalized with a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service, officials said.

A unanimous 1994 California Supreme Court ruling decided that the use of law enforcement-aligned minors as decoys was a valid compliance tactic.

"Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a higher rate of drunken driving fatalities than the general adult population," sheriff's officials said in a statement released Tuesday evening. "About 25% of alcohol-related crashes involve underage drinking, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration."

California's ABC department is a part of the state-level Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.

City News Service contributed to this report.