In a sting targeting underage booze sales, two Thousand Oaks retailers got popped for selling to minors. On March 22, 2024, undercover decoys supervised by authorities from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and the Thousand Oaks Directed Enforcement Unit tried their luck at local shops, looking every bit the legal age, only to lay bare the haphazard compliance with the law.
During the Minor Decoy Operation, decoys under the age of 21, with their youth likely apparent to anyone taking a hard look, presented their real IDs when liquor was on the line, answering all queries truthfully. A total of eleven establishments, among them grocery giants, were put under the microscope, reported the Thousand Oaks Sheriff's Office. CVS Pharmacy and Latino Market and Grill failed the test, handing over alcohol to the underage patrons.
Caught red-handed, the clerks from both businesses received citations from the authorities. According to a Sheriff's Office release, the businesses are also staring down the barrel of fines that could soar up to $3,000 for their lapses in judgment. The crackdown is part of a wider crusade to sober up the city's approach to underage drinking, a leading cause of car crashes among the 16-20 demographic.
The Sheriff's Office and ABC are not letting up on the heat; they're doubling down on education and enforcement. Businesses that don't clean up their act could lose their alcohol licenses, not to mention the additional fines that would make selling a few bottles to minors seem like small potatoes. In the event someone is privy to further instances of such sales, they are urged to dial the Sheriff's Office at (805) 654-9511 and can tip off anonymously. The operation's tab was picked up by ABC's Alcohol Policing Partnership Program.
For those who have the scoop on any booze-peddling to minors, Ventura County Crime Stoppers is offering a prize - a reward up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and a criminal complaint. Keep mum about your identity if you choose; the line isn't recorded. Crime Stoppers can be reached at 800-222-TIPS (8477), they announced in the same statement.
