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‘Decoy’ sting nets 3 citations, drug bust

Three Sonoma businesses were cited Friday for selling alcohol to minors as part of the Sonoma Police Department’s “Minor Decoy Sting” program.

Round Table Pizza, HopMonk Tavern and Pizzeria Capri were cited for selling alcohol to underage decoys.

According to Sgt. Spencer Crum, with the Sonoma Police Department, the employees were criminally cited for furnishing alcohol to minors and the businesses are being referred to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for administrative license violations. This project is part of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Minor Decoy/Shoulder Tap Grant Project, funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The $6,500 grant funds six months worth of stings in the city and throughout the Valley.

In all, 11 attempts to buy alcohol were made by minor decoys at businesses around the Valley, resulting in the three citations, while eight businesses refused to serve the minor decoys.

In addition, minor decoys were also placed in front of area businesses for a total of three hours for the “shoulder tap” portion of the sting – in this case the minor decoy asks adults to purchase alcohol for them. Only one adult responded to the shoulder tap sting, according to Crumb.

And while that incident did not result in a citation, it did end in a drug bust.

A willing adult agreed to purchase beer when asked by a minor decoy outside the 7-Eleven at 18000 Railroad Ave. in Boyes. Normally this would result in a citation once the purchase is made, however the clerk alerted the adult to the sting when he brought the Coors beer to the counter, telling him not to make the purchase.

The adult left the store and refused to return the money given to him by the minor decoy. Officers questioned the adult, found that he had narcotics on him and promptly arrested him.