Clerks from four Santa Cruz County stores cited for selling alcohol or tobacco to minor decoy

Clerks from four stores Santa Cruz County were issued citations during recent alcohol and tobacco shoulder tap and minor decoy operations.

On Thursday, members of the Alcohol and Tobacco Compliance Units ran a decoy shoulder tap operation at retail stores in Santa Cruz County using an undercover minor. The minors are under the age of 21 and supervised by deputies during the operation.

The minor tried to shoulder tap adults two times by asking them to purchase alcohol at two different locations. Both times, the adults refused.

The decoy also tried to buy alcohol and tobacco products at eight locations in southern Santa Cruz County. The minor was refused at four locations, including:

Orchard Park Market Rite Aide Aptos Smart Smoke Shop Falcon Gas

The minor was sold alcohol or tobacco products at four locations:

Harvest Moon Market Cabrillo Liquor and Wine Point Market Rio Liquor and Market

The store clerks from Harvest Moon Market and Cabrillo Liquor and Wine were issued citations for furnishing alcohol to a minor. The clerks from Point Market and Rio Liquor and Market were issued citations for selling tobacco to a minor.