MONTEBELLO - The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has suspended the license of Montebello Ranch Express after an employee furnished alcohol to two minors, one of whom sustained great bodily injury after jumping out of a moving vehicle on August 17, 2023. Alcohol sales are prohibited until the suspension period ends.
ABC opened a TRACE (Target Responsibility for Alcohol Connected Emergencies) investigation immediately after the incident to determine the source of the alcohol the underage passenger consumed. ABC agents determined that an unidentified clerk at Montebello Ranch Express furnished the alcoholic beverages. The minor was found to be obviously intoxicated at a school dance and was picked up by a parent. On the ride home, the minor jumped from the moving vehicle, resulting in a fractured skull and brain bleed.
“Preventing underage drinking is a public safety priority,” said ABC Director Joseph McCullough. “We want to remind licensees and employees to check IDs carefully and help keep Californians safe.”
ABC sought disciplinary action against Montebello Ranch Express’s alcoholic beverage license for furnishing alcoholic beverages to a minor causing great bodily injury or death. In response to the accusations, the licensee signed a settlement agreement. Under the agreement, the license is suspended for 30 days.
The TRACE program is made possible by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The grant provides funding for ABC investigations of alcohol-related incidents that involve a person under the age of 21 causing great bodily injury or death, or anyone charged with vehicular manslaughter that was under the influence of alcohol regardless of their age.