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).
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Camarillo Minor Decoy Operation
| Nature of Incident: | Minor Decoy Operation | ||||
| Location: | Camarillo | ||||
| Date: | December 8, 2025 | ||||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Camarillo Community Resources Unit, California Department of Alcoholic Beverage and Control (ABC) |
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| Suspects: |
City of Residence |
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| Cronies Applebee’s Take Five Cocktails |
Camarillo Camarillo Camarillo |
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| Narrative: | |||||
| Agents from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and the Camarillo Police Department Community Resources Unit (CRU) worked together on a minor decoy operation to see if employees at licensed alcohol establishments would sell alcohol to a minor under 21 years of age. During the operation, a minor decoy under the age of 21, under the direct supervision of law enforcement, entered a business establishment and sat down at the bar area. The decoy attempted to buy alcohol from the bartender and would not lie about their age if asked. Employees at Applebee’s and Take Five Cocktails furnished alcohol to the decoy and were cited and released for a violation of BP 25658(a). In addition, during the operation at Cronies, it was determined that an adult patron under 21 years of age, was furnished alcohol by an adult friend. The Cronies server also gave alcohol to the patron who was under 21 years of age and did not ask either patron for their identification. After further investigation, the subject was found in possession of a fake driver’s license. This resulted in citations of BP 25662(a) and BP 25661(a) for the underage female and BP 25658(a) for the female friend and server that gave her the alcohol. Statistics have shown that young people under the age of twenty-one have a much higher risk of being involved in a motor vehicle crash than older drivers. About twenty-five percent of fatal crashes involve underage drinking according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). ABC would like to remind the public, “We conduct these operations to keep alcohol out of the hands of our youth and to protect the safety of our children,” said ABC Director Paul Tupy. “By preventing underage drinking we can increase the quality of life in our communities, curtail alcohol related crimes and reduce DUIs.” The Community Resources Unit will continue to work with ABC Agents and other entities to educate and enforce underage drinking laws. Our goal is to protect our youth from substances such as alcohol that can be harmful to their well-being. Anyone who knows of adults furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors or establishments who sell alcohol to minors please call the Sheriff’s Office at (805) 654-9511 or email Senior Deputy Matthew Koenig with CRU ([email protected]). People who call can remain anonymous. |
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| Prepared by: | Senior Deputy Matthew Koenig | ||||
| News Release Date: | December 12th, 2025 | ||||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Senior Deputy Matthew Koenig (805) 279-0490 |
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| Approved by: |
Captain Jason Hendren |
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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).
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Address/Location
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
800 S Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93003
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 805-654-9511