ENCINITAS — Two people were arrested on Saturday in Encinitas during a San Diego County Sheriff’s Office “Shoulder Tap Operation,” which involved two minor decoys asking adults to buy alcohol in front of two liquor stores, authorities said today.
The operation was conducted on Saturday, in which 34 adults were asked by minors under the supervision of an officer to buy alcohol, according to the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff’s officials said two adults purchased alcohol for minors. The names of the two arrestees were not immediately available.
The penalty for distributing alcohol to a minor is a minimum fine of at least $1,000 and/or 24 hours of community service, according to officials.
“The Alcoholic Beverage Control conducts these compliance checks statewide to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors. Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a higher rate of drunken driving fatalities than the general adult population,” the sheriff’s office stated.
In July 2024, the SDSO received a $75,000 APP grant. Officials said the money was earmarked for communities patrolled by the sheriff’s office to reduce alcohol-related crimes and educate ABC-licensed businesses.
Authorities urged anyone with information on licensed alcohol establishments providing alcohol to minors to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580- 8477 or the sheriff’s office non-emergency line at 858-565-5200.
