Local businesses sell alcohol to minors

The Thousand Oaks Police Department in conjunction with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, Moorpark Police Department and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control recently initiated a sting operation to determine if local businesses were complying with the state laws prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages to people under the age of 21.

The Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving Unit organized the sting operation, which visited 70 locations during the evening hours of Fri., March 7. The 70 businesses, including liquor stores, drug stores, convenience marts and a grocery store, are all locations in the cities of Thousand Oaks and Moorpark that sell alcohol to be consumed off the premises.

During the operation, underage customers attempted to purchase energy drinks that contain alcohol. The alcoholic energy drinks look very similar to regular energy drinks and are not easily identified as alcoholic.

The clerks that did not sell to the underage customers were informed of the operation and thanked for complying with the law.

Businesses that sold the alcoholic energy drinks to underage customers:

•7-Eleven, 3309 Kimber Drive, Newbury Park

•Albertsons, 1736 E. Avenida de Los Arboles, Thousand Oaks

•Rite Aid, 205 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks

•7Eleven, 530 New Los Angeles Ave., Moorpark

•Alliance Gas, 50 W. Los Angeles Ave., Moorpark

•Albertsons, 475 W. Los Angeles Ave., Moorpark

•Moorpark Liquor, 312 W. Los Angeles Ave., Moorpark •Mobil Gas, 550 W. Los Angeles Ave., Moorpark