Community
Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
###
Media Release: Minor Decoy Operation
| Nature of Incident: | Minor Decoy Operation | ||||
| Location: | City of Thousand Oaks |
||||
| Date & Time: | June 26, 2025, | ||||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Thousand Oaks Directed Enforcement Unit (DEU) and Ventura County Public Health Tobacco Education and Prevention Program. |
||||
| (S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent |
City of Residence |
Age | |||
| (S) 2 adult females N/A N/A (S) 2 adult males N/A N/A Narrative: Ventura County Public Health Tobacco Education and Prevention Program and deputies from the Thousand Oaks Directed Enforcement Unit (DEU), conducted a minor decoy operation in the City of Thousand Oaks. On June 26, 2025, DEU organized a minor decoy operation in the City of Thousand Oaks. A person under the age of 21 years old was used as a decoy to enter establishments with the intent to purchase tobacco. The decoy attempting to make the illegal purchase of tobacco, is dressed conservatively, provides identification when asked, and makes no attempts to mislead the seller. All questions asked by the seller to the decoy are also answered honestly. The decoy is supervised by deputies from DEU during the entire process. Twenty businesses, including major grocery stores, were investigated to verify the sale of tobacco to minors was not occurring. The following four businesses sold tobacco products to a minor decoy: Cig Star, Baked Blvd Smoke Shop, Siesta Market, and Vons. After the tobacco was sold to the minor, the clerks were contacted by deputies and issued citations. In addition, violators were provided education on the current laws regarding tobacco sales by Ventura County Public Health Tobacco Education and Prevention Program. The clerks who sold to a minor could face a minimum fine of $200. In addition, the California Department of Public Health may take administrative action against the license of the business where tobacco was sold to a minor. That may include a fine, suspension, or the permanent revocation of the license. The mission of the Ventura County Public Health Tobacco Education and Prevention Program (TEPP) is to improve the health of all residents in Ventura County by reducing illness and premature death attributed to the use of tobacco products. The TEPP implements activities to:
DEU will continue to work with Ventura County Public Health and other organizations to educate and enforce underage tobacco sales. Anyone who knows of establishments who sell tobacco products to minors can call the sheriff’s office at (805) 371-8338. People who call can remain anonymous. Ventura County Public Health offers a FREE “Call It Quits” stop smoking classes!  |
|||||
| Prepared by: | Sergeant Jonathan James | ||||
| News Release Date: | 07/01/2025 | ||||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Senior Deputy Jonathan San Jose 805-371-8338 |
||||
| Approved by: Booking Photo Release: |
Captain James Sullivan YES NO X |
||||
Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
###
Address/Location
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
800 S Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93003
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 805-654-9511