3 CITED IN STING FOR BUYING TEEN ALCOHOL.

Byline: Daily News

LANCASTER -- Three people were cited after they bought alcohol for a 19-year-old sheriff's ``decoy'' who approached them outside a west Lancaster liquor store, sheriff's officials said.

In a ``shoulder tap'' sting operation intended to catch people purchasing alcohol for minors, the teen approached 22 people Wednesday outside four businesses.

Nineteen people refused to buy alcohol for the teen, and at two businesses the teen was noticed by employees and ordered to leave, which deputies said is a positive sign.

``Other patrons that declined to purchase alcohol for the minor made reference to recent newspaper articles reporting the prior arrests of adults for furnishing alcohol to a minor,'' Deputy Mike Kuper said.

The three citations brought to 20 the number of adults caught purchasing alcohol for minors in five sting operations during the past two months, deputies said.

Lancaster sheriff's station deputies and state Alcoholic Beverage Control investigators conducted the sting, with funding from a $99,000 state grant the Lancaster station received this year to enforce state laws against the sale of alcohol to minors.

Deputies also have sent teens into stores, restaurants and bars to try to buy alcohol.

Anyone wanting to report businesses they think are selling alcohol to minors and conducting other criminal activity can call Kuper at [phone] or the Alcoholic Beverage Control office in Van Nuys at [phone].