Three people cited for underage alcohol related violations

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The Santa Maria Police Department and Guadalupe Police Department conducted Alcohol Beverage Control operations throughout the Santa Maria and Guadalupe cities on Saturday.

During the operation, they employed the "Shoulder Tap" and "Minor Decoy" programs.

During the "Minor Decoy" operation, a minor decoy attempts to purchase alcoholic beverages from various establishments. Officers sent the minor decoy into four establishments. None of the businesses sold alcohol to the minor decoy.

For the "Shoulder Tap" operation, a minor decoy under the supervision of officers asks various people from the community to buy them alcoholic beverages. During this operation, which took place at two different stores, a total of six people were contacted, and only one agreed to purchase alcohol for the minor decoy.

As police investigated, they found Oscar Cruz, who had purchased the alcohol for the minor decoy, had also purchased alcohol for his friend, Javenal Ramirez, who was also a minor.

Ramirez, 19, was found still on the site with alcohol in his possession. Authorities then discovered that Cruz was underage as well at only 18-years-old.

Police found that the clerk for Roy's Liquor and Market in Guadalupe, Elias Daoud, 53, had failed to ask Cruz for identification before selling him the alcohol.

Cruz and Daoud were cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor, and Ramirez and Cruz were both cited for being a minor in possession of alcohol.

Police said funding for these programs is provided by the California ABC Alcohol Policing Partnership grant which was awarded to the Santa Maria Police Department and the City of Guadalupe for these types of operations.