News

Released: June 23, 2017 - Friday, 02:14 PM

Alcohol Enforcement - Underage Shoulder Tap Operation

Contact: A. Perry, SergeantPhone: (805) 781-4529Date and time of incident: 06-22-17 5:00PM - 9:00PMPlace of Occurrence: Retail alcohol licensee locations in Cayucos and Los Osos areas. Victim Information: Not ApplicableSuspect Information: Deborah Anne Skelton, 42 years old, of Morro BayOn 06-22-17 between the hours of 5:00PM and 9:00PM , the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office’s Alcohol Compliance Team (ACT) operated a California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) grant funded shoulder tap operation in the Los Osos and Cayucos areas. The “Decoy Shoulder Tap Program” is an enforcement operation that utilizes minor decoys to solicit customers to purchase alcoholic beverages on their behalf. This program results in the identification of persons who furnish alcoholic beverages to minors outside ABC licensed establishments. If furnishing alcohol to the minor decoy takes place, a team of deputy sheriffs specifically trained in ABC enforcement programs respond immediately to detain and arrest those responsible for the violation.
On 06-22-17 at 7:49PM, the ACT team arrested one (1) person near a retail location in Los Osos for furnishing alcoholic beverages to a minor. During the operation, people in front of three (3) retail locations in Cayucos and Los Osos were approached by a decoy with a request to purchase alcoholic beverage(s). All responsibly declined except for Skelton who was captured during the sting operation.
Skelton was released on her signed promise to appear (citation) and will be charged through the District Attorney’s Office for illegally furnishing alcohol to a minor, a violation of Business & Professions Code § 25658(a), a misdemeanor. The Sheriff’s Office will be continuing ABC grant funded operations through June 30, 2017. Ongoing programs include minor decoy deployment, shoulder tap operations, on-sale and off-sale licensee monitoring, and false identification detection operations. Media inquiries related to the Sheriff’s Office’s ACT enforcement programs can be directed to (805) 781-4529.