ALCOHOL-SALES ARRESTS MADE.

Byline: Stacy Brown Daily News Staff Writer

Four Santa Clarita Valley merchants were arrested Thursday in an ongoing sting operation by sheriff's deputies aimed at stopping the sale of alcohol to minors.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Bruce Sonnenblick said between 6 p.m. and midnight undercover deputies sent an 18-year-old woman from the sheriff's Explorer team into 21 different businesses.

The teen was allowed to purchase alcoholic beverages at four area convenience stores and supermarkets.

Sonnenblick said the four employees who sold the alcohol to the minor were arrested for misdemeanor sale of an alcoholic beverage to a minor.

The employees were released when they promised to appear in court and each of the businesses will now face an administrative review of their liquor licenses by the state Alcohol Beverage Control Board, Sonnenblick said.

``Our objective is to eliminate the relatively simple access minors have to alcoholic beverages within the Santa Clarita Valley,'' Sonnenblick said.

Sheriff's deputies have been conducting an Eliminating Alcohol Sales to Youth - or E.A.S.Y. - program for one year now and officials said the operation will continue throughout this summer.

``We want local establishments to have a fear of getting caught by law enforcement if they illegally provide alcohol to minors,'' Sonnenblick said.

The four employees arrested Thursday were from a Union 76 station and the Ralphs supermarket in Castaic and the Thrifty Shopper Liquor Store and the Vons supermarket in Canyon Country.