ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, May 18, 1996 TAG: 9605200062
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DIANE STRUZZI
State authorities have charged a Roanoke County convenience store with selling alcohol to the 16-year-old who struck and killed a woman in his neighborhood while driving drunk late last year.
On Tuesday, the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board cited the Riverside Quickette at 5956 W. Main Street for selling beer on three occasions to underage patrons. The charges are administrative, not criminal.
The ABC citation lists three dates when alcohol was sold to underage patrons. One charge originated the night of Dec. 14, when authorities believe a Roanoke County teen-ager purchased beer at the store. The boy later killed Bonnie Kitts as she took an evening walk with her husband.
Two weeks after the fatal accident, police sent two underage informants to purchase beer and wine from the store. Police charged the clerk who sold to them with two misdemeanors. A Roanoke County General District Court Judge dropped the charges, saying the informants looked older than 21. The ABC Board cited the store for those sales as well.
Before this set of charges, the store had never been cited, according to ABC records.
A hearing has been set for 9 a.m. July 12 at the local ABC offices at 3023 Peters Creek Road. If the board upholds the charges, the store could loseits ABC license.
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