Alcohol Sting Nets Six Citations

Six citations were issued during a “shoulder tap” operation conducted by Sheriff’s deputies from the Isla Vista substation last weekend, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed late Wednesday. On Friday, December 28, three people were cited for serving alcohol to a minor, who was acting as a decoy for the Sheriff’s Office. That operation was disbanded when the call came in about a triple homicide in Orcutt, said Sheriff’s spokesperson Kelly Hoover, which resulted in a fatal officer-involved shooting.

The next night, officers again conducted the sting operation, and three businesses were cited for serving alcohol to a minor. The enforcement area was in Goleta, Hoover said, though conducted by the Isla Vista Foot Patrol. Both UCSB and Santa Barbara City College, whose students make up a large part of Isla Vista’s population, were out of session for winter break. The decoy program is funded by a $100,000 grant from California Alcoholic Beverage Control.