SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Employees at three Aptos restaurants were cited for selling alcohol to minors in an undercover decoy operation on Thursday, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Ashley Keehn said.
The employees were from Panda Inn, Sid’s Smokehouse and Severino’s Bar & Grill, she said.
Employees refused to sell alcohol to the minor decoys at Pizza 1 Restaurant of Aptos, and at Mariscos El Nayarit 2 and the Quik Stop at 303 E. Lake Ave., both in Watsonville.
Members of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Alcohol and Tobacco Compliance Units conducted the operation at the six locations, using decoys that are between the ages of 18-20 and are supervised by sheriff’s deputies.
“The goal of this operation is to limit access to alcoholic beverages and tobacco products to underage individuals,” Keehn said.
The employees who sold alcohol to the minor decoys were cited a misdemeanor, and given a court date.
