San Diego deputies "obviously intoxicated"

Undercover sheriff deputies in Vista found plenty of liquor-store clerks willing to sell booze to "obviously intoxicated" patrons, according to the results of a sting on Saturday afternoon (December 5).

"An undercover deputy entered a licensed establishment and acted obviously intoxicated," reads a release from media relations officer Melissa Aquino. "He smelled of alcohol, stumbled into the store, slurred his speech, dropped items, bumped into displays, etc."

The "drunk" deputy then attempted to purchase alcohol. In four of the eight locations visited between 1:30 and 6:00 p.m., store employees completed a sale, despite the undercover officer's behavior. In these instances, state Alcoholic Beverage Control agents and uniformed deputies entered the store to lecture the clerk on California law, under which sale of alcohol to an intoxicated patron is a misdemeanor offense.

The enforcement was part of an educational outreach program funded by a $100,000 state grant — no enforcement action will be taken against the unnamed offenders.

According to the California Highway Patrol, 4320 people were arrested on DUI charges throughout San Diego County last year; 1121 were involved in alcohol-related crashes.