South Lake Tahoe business sells liquor to minor, has ABC license temporarily suspended

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – A South Lake Tahoe business, Mi Pueblo Market on Pioneer Trail, had its California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) license temporarily suspended after selling to a minor decoy. The South Lake Tahoe Police Department, along with agents of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), conducted a minor decoy operation in November 2023. During that operation, a clerk at the business sold alcohol to a minor decoy.

As a result, ABC took administrative action this week and issued a 15-day suspension of their license, which is currently in effect.

The clerk who sold to the minor, if convicted, faces a minimum fine of $250, and 24 to 32 hours of community service for a first violation.

Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers. About 25 percent of fatal crashes involve underage drinking according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Minor Decoy operations have been conducted by local law enforcement throughout the state since the 1980s. When the program first began, the violation rate of retail establishments selling to minors was as high as 40 to 50 percent. When conducted on a routine basis, the rate has dropped to below 10 percent in some cities. In 1994, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that use of minor decoys is a valid legal tool of law enforcement to make sure that licensees are complying with the law.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from ABC through the department’s Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program.