Five ShasCo businesses cited during youth decoy operation

SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. — Five Shasta County store clerks were cited after selling tobacco products to a youth decoy during a Shasta County Sheriff’s decoy operation Wednesday, Sept. 16. Two of the businesses with employees cited during yesterday’s operation were cited for the same issue during a similar operation last February.

Sheriff’s deputies, in partnership with Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency, conducted the youth decoy operation intended to limit the sales of tobacco products to youth.

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During the operation the decoy, who was under the age of 21 and supervised by Shasta County sheriff’s deputies attempted to purchase tobacco products from 16 tobacco retail licensed businesses throughout Shasta County, Shasta County Sheriff’s South County Patrol Station Sgt. Gonzalez reported after the operation.

Of the 16 businesses targeted during the compliance checks, clerks at five of the businesses sold tobacco products to the youth decoy, according to Gonzalez.

The following businesses were cited for selling tobacco products to the decoy;

  • Gas Point Market, 19980 Gas Point Road Cottonwood
  • Cottonwood Chevron, 20800 4th Street, Cottonwood
  • Tobacco and Vape, 5320 Shasta Dam Blvd., Shasta Lake
  • Drive-In Market, 13719 Hill Blvd., Summit City
  • Arco AM/PM, 1666 Cascade Blvd. Shasta Lake

The Gas Point Market and Cottonwood Chevron, both of which are located in Cottonwood, had employees cited for selling tobacco products to a youth decoy during a similar operation last February. Officials did not say if the same clerks were cited during the two operations.

“Both agencies would like to remind everyone that the minimum age of purchasing and using tobacco products is 21 years old, unless a person is an active military personnel, which the legal age is 18 years old,” Gonzalez explained; saying SCSO “will continue to conduct periodic compliance checks to reduce the availability of tobacco and vaping products to youth in Shasta County.”

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This operation was made possible with funding provided by the Department of Justice – Tobacco Grant Program.


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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.