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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Tobacco Decoy Operation
| Nature of Incident: | Tobacco Decoy Operation | ||||
| Location: | Various Retail Locations ~ City of Camarillo |
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| Date: | June 4th, 2026 | ||||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Camarillo Community Resources Unit, Camarillo City Code Enforcement |
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| Suspects: |
City of Residence |
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| CVS Pharmacy Chevron Gas West End Smoke & Vape |
Camarillo Camarillo Camarillo |
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| Narrative: | |||||
| On June 4th, 2026, members of the Camarillo Police Community Resources Unit and Camarillo City Code Enforcement conducted an underage tobacco decoy sting. The goal of the operation is to limit underage access to tobacco products and to confirm businesses are operating within the law. The operation resulted in four misdemeanor citations. These citations included one clerk that furnished a tobacco product to the underage decoy, one clerk that sold alcohol to the decoy and co-owners of a business that were selling nitrous oxide inhalants for consumption. Out of the 23 businesses checked during the operation, a clerk at Chevron Gas located at 305 Carmen Drive sold a tobacco product to the underage decoy. A clerk at CVS Pharmacy located at 5259 Mission Oaks Boulevard sold alcohol to the underage decoy even when presented with identification and knowing the decoy’s age. Co-owners of West End Smoke and Vape located at 459 Carmen Drive were found during a law enforcement inspection to be in possession of flavored nitrous oxide for sale to be consumed as an inhalant. Penal Code 308(a)(1)(A)(i) makes it a misdemeanor for a subject to furnish tobacco and tobacco products to a minor who is under the age of 21. Furthermore, Business and Profession Code (BP) 25658(a) makes it a misdemeanor for a subject to furnish alcohol to a minor who is under the age of 21. Penal Code 381e makes it a misdemeanor for a business to sell inhalants to a patron for recreational use for the purpose of intoxication. Clerks of a corporation/business/retailer who sell, give or furnish tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21 years old have committed a misdemeanor crime and can face a fine of $500 for a first offense, then $1,000 for a second offense, and $5,000 for a third offense. In addition, violators and multiple businesses were educated on the current laws regarding tobacco sales by Camarillo City Code Enforcement. The California Department of Public Health may take administrative action against the license of the business where tobacco products were sold to the underage decoy. That may include a fine, suspension, or the permanent revocation of the license. The Camarillo Police Department will continue to work with Camarillo City Code Enforcement and Ventura County Public Health to educate and enforce against any underage tobacco and alcohol sales in addition to the sales of inhalants. The tobacco decoy operation was paid for by a Tobacco Grant from the California Department of Justice. The Camarillo Police Department will also continue to work with ABC to educate and enforce underage alcohol sales. The Camarillo Police Department would like to remind parents to talk to their children about the dangers of using drugs; including tobacco, inhalants and alcohol. Parents play an important role in limiting access to unsafe items in the home and educating their children about drug and alcohol safety. Anyone who knows of adults furnishing tobacco products to minors or establishments who sell tobacco products 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: | June 23rd, 2026 | ||||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Senior Deputy Matthew Koenig (805) 279-0490 |
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| Approved by: |
Captain John Hadjucko |
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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