“During the pat down, SPPD officers Hector Ramirez and Paul Spencer,” and an ABC agent, “found two baggies of a white, powdery substance that when tested were found to be cocaine,” noted Cmdr. Trimble.Zaragoza was arrested for furnishing alcohol to a minor and for felony drug-related charges.During a “shoulder tap” operation, an underage decoy asks a person entering an establishment offering off-site liquor sales to buy them liquor. The minor must indicate in some way they he or she is underage and cannot purchase the alcohol, said Cmdr. Trimble.“The decoys come up and say, ‘Hey, buy me some alcohol’ and when it’s handed over the buyer is arrested,” added Sgt. Trimble. “There is surveillance for the entire transaction; we want to ensure the safety of the decoy and to make sure essential procedures are followed properly,” for criminal prosecution purposes.The state Legislature recently increased the penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor from a $250 fine to a minimum of a $1,000 fine, as well as 24 hours of community service.According to the ABC, the “shoulder tap” program is intended to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors, who have a higher rate of drunk driving accidents than adults in general; the combination of alcohol and minors also increases criminal activity.
‘Shoulder tap’ alcohol sting leads to cocaine discovery and arrest
April 18, 2003
Santa Paula Police Department
A Santa Paula man arrested in a decoy “shoulder tap” undercover operation found himself in even bigger trouble than buying alcohol for a minor when officers went south and discovered he had cocaine in his pants pocket, according to a SPPD spokesman.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesA Santa Paula man arrested in a decoy “shoulder tap” undercover operation found himself in even bigger trouble than buying alcohol for a minor when officers went south and discovered he had cocaine in his pants pocket, according to a SPPD spokesman.According SPPD Commander Mark Trimble, the incident occurred on March 28th during a SPPD and ABC joint undercover operation.Also involved was Mike Dedecker, a retired SPPD officer and the city’s ABC Grant Coordinator, Cmdr. Trimble noted.On March 28th, Armando Zaragoza, 21, bought alcohol for a minor at about 9:15 p.m. at a liquor store located in the 100 block of West Harvard Boulevard.When Zaragoza exited the store and handed the alcohol to the minor, he was arrested, said Cmdr. Trimble