Four people were arrested Oct. 24 in a sting operation in which a teenager asked adults to buy alcohol for them in six locations outside liquor stores in the Alpine and Lakeside areas.
There were 25 other adults who refused to buy alcohol for the teenager, who was a sheriff’s decoy as part of the Shoulder Tap Operation, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said in a press release. The names of the people arrested and the specific locations were not available at press time.
The people arrested will likely face misdemeanor charges in El Cajon Superior Court. The maximum penalty is six months in jail and/or $1000 fine.
The operation also took place in the unincorporated area of El Cajon. The Sheriff’s department said one liquor store sold alcohol to the minor.
The Shoulder Tap Operation will continue through June, 2020.
It is funded through the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control(ABC) through a countywide grant to help prevent underage drinking and other crimes that could occur at ABC licensed establishments.
The sheriff’s department received an ABC grant of $100,000 in July, 2019 to conduct these type of operations. Anyone with info on licensed liquor establishments that provide alcohol to minors can report it to Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 and callers can remain anonymous. Violations can also be reported to the sheriff’s non-emergency line at (858) 565-5200.
