Grosse Pointe Woods Police Issue 26 Citations for Underage Drinking

police broke up an underage drinking party Friday in the 400 block of Coventry Lane that left one 17-year-old hospitalized.

According to a report, officers responded to the house shortly after 10 p.m. and were escorted to the basement upon their request by a woman who was later cited for allowing an open house party in her home.

Upon entering the basement, officers found empty beer bottles and liquor bottles scattered all over the floor. They also found a 17-year-old boy unconscious on the floor.

He was found to have a 0.29 percent blood alcohol content—nearly four times Michgan's legal limit for adults ages 21 and older. The teen was taken to an area hospital by ambulance, according to the police report.

Several of the teens began trying to leave the party when police arrived but officers stopped them and administered a portable breath test to everyone. The results varied from 0.01 to 0.29, with most on the higher end.

The teens, ages 14 to 17, were from Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Farms and Harper Woods. All 26 teens were given minor in possession citations. Officers then contacted the parents of each teen, requiring them to come to the home and pick up their child.

Officers told the parents of the unconscious teen to meet him at the hospital. A citation is being mailed to his home, according to a report. 

In addition to citing the minors who were drinking, police issued citations to the 50-year-old woman and her boyfriend who were hosting the party. Both are scheduled to make an appearance in court in December.

The open house party citation carries a penalty of up to 60 days in jail and up to $1,000 in fines on the first offense, according to the ordinance and state law.

This is the second time in a matter of months that a mother has been charged with hosting an open house party. In the last case, at her Hillcrest home.

In that case, she was allowed to enter a plea under advisement, which means if she completes her probation sentence successfully, her case will be dismissed and not appear in criminal records.

The younger of the teens found at the Coventry Lane home are being handled by Woods Youth Officer Detective Daniel Koerber, while those who were 17 at the time are scheduled to make an appearance in Grosse Pointe Woods court in December.

When such an offense is a first for teenagers, police have options to enter them into a diversion program, which allows them to receive the help without having a criminal record.