REDDING - Four young people in Shasta County, only one of them of legal drinking age, face charges of furnishing alcohol to minors after one of the minors was involved in a two-car collision in which he and two others suffered major injuries.
The crash happened in Redding in the early morning hours on December 24, 2014. Nineteen year old Riley Frost-Christie, the suspected at-fault driver, was reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. He and two people in the car he allegedly hit were hurt.
The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) was contacted about the incident and launched a parallel investigation through its TRACE program. TRACE stands for Target Responsibility for Alcohol-Connected Emergencies.
ABC Agents from the Redding District Office were able to identify the source of the alcohol which Frost-Christie had consumed prior to the crash. Agents determined that Alexa McNeil, 22, and Paul Rhea, 19, both of Redding, and two juveniles were responsible for providing alcohol to multiple underage people, including Frost-Christie, at a house party.
An investigative report was filed with the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office and an arrest warrant was issued for McNeil’s arrest for her role in this incident. Rhea will likely appear in the Shasta County Superior Court for his role and the two juveniles involved are scheduled to appear in Juvenile Court for their role in this incident.
McNeil, Rhea, and the two juveniles face the possibility of up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine or both.
"It is a very serious offense when someone supplies a person under 21 with alcoholic beverages," said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona. "Fortunately in this case, there were no fatalities that Christmas Eve morning. Too often there are. ABC agents are very thorough in their investigations tracking down the individuals who provided alcohol to those under 21 and then they turn that information over to local district attorneys for possible prosecution."
