FONTANA- California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents teamed with police officers in Cathedral City and Fontana to conduct underage decoy stings at stores that sell alcohol.
On February 28th, the decoy operation took place in Fontana, where agents and officers instructed decoys to enter 11 stores and attempt to purchase alcohol. Clerks at nine of the stores did the right thing, by checking IDs and declining to complete the transaction. Clerks at two locations were cited and face a minimum fine of $250 and/or up to 32 hours of community service for a first violation.
On March 1, ABC agents and Cathedral City police officers conducted a similar sting. During the operation, agents arrested a clerk for selling alcohol to the decoy. The clerk, 35 years old, was working at a gas station and is on parole. Selling alcohol to a minor may be a parole violation.
“These decoy operations are an important part of educating those who sell alcohol and are also a positive factor in public safety by keeping alcohol away from those under 21,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona. “Thank you to the agents and officers who value the safety of our young people and our communities and work to keep all of us safe.”
