Cathedral City Chevron attendant cited for allegedly selling alcohol to minor

A 21-year-old Cathedral City gas station attendant was cited for allegedly selling alcohol to a minor during a sting operation coordinated by state and local officials, police said today.

Eva Angelina Acevedo allegedly sold alcohol to a minor who was working with Cathedral City police and agents from the California Alcoholic Beverage Control as part of a sting operation, according to police Cmdr. Paul Herrera.

Acevedo, a Desert Hot Springs resident, was working at the Chevron located at 22600 Palm Drive around 4 p.m. Wednesday when the alleged sale took place. She was cited and released, police said.

Minors working directly with law enforcement carried out similar stings at several licensed stores throughout the city, Herrera said.

People who sell alcohol to minors usually face a minimum fine of $250 and/or 24 to 32 hours of community service for a first violation, according to police. Fines, an alcohol license suspension or permanent license revocation are the possible consequences for businesses where alcohol is sold to a minor.

“Minor decoy operations have been conducted by local law enforcement throughout the state since the 1980s,” according to a Cathedral City police statement. “When the program first began, the violation rate of retail establishments selling to minors was as high as 40 to 50 percent. When conducted on a routine basis, the rate has dropped in some cities as low as 10 percent.”