​2 Busted In Underage Alcohol Sting In Encinitas

ENCINITAS, CA — Two people were busted in an alcohol sting in San Diego's North County.

Deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff's Office and two minor decoys conducted a "shoulder tap operation" Saturday at two liquor stores in Encinitas.

Minors, under the supervision of an officer, asked 34 adults to buy them alcohol. Two of the adults purchased alcohol for minors, according to the sheriff's office. The names of the two people arrested were not released.

The penalty for providing alcohol to a minor is a minimum fine of at least $1,000 and 24 hours of community service, officials said.

"The Alcoholic Beverage Control conducts these compliance checks statewide to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a higher rate of drunken driving fatalities than the general adult population."

Authorities asked anyone with information on licensed alcohol establishments providing alcohol to minors to contact the sheriff's office non-emergency line at 858-565-5200 or San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.