People v. Amacio
On October 31, 2019, Carlo Navarro (age 20) drove while intoxicated at a high rate of speed and killed a family of three people who were standing on the sidewalk near Los Cerritos Park in Long Beach. When it was reported that Carlo Navarro, who is not legally allowed to purchase alcohol, acquired the alcohol he consumed at Green Diamond Liquor in North Long Beach earlier that day, an investigation was conducted. After that investigation, criminal charges were filed against Amor Potestades Amacio, who gave the alcohol to Carlo Navarro and Syntyche Amacio, who is listed as the owner of Green Diamond Liquor.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is there a press release explaining the charges and sentence?
Yes, click HERE for the press release.
Are Amor Potestades Amacio and Syntyche Amacio related?
Yes, Amor is the mother of Syntyche. As discussed below, part of this case involves the allegation that Green Diamond Liquor was put in Syntyche’s name to avoid ABC regulators.
Why weren’t the defendants charged with felonies?
California law makes it a misdemeanor to provide alcohol to a minor, even when the result is that the minor becomes intoxicated and kills someone. Therefore, this case was handled by the Long Beach City Prosecutor’s Office, which is responsible for handling all misdemeanor crimes that occur in Long Beach.
Specifically, the law is Penal Code section 25658(c), which provides a person who violates the law, “by purchasing any alcoholic beverage for, or furnishing, giving, or giving away any alcoholic beverage to, a person under 21 years of age, and the person under 21 years of age thereafter consumes the alcohol and thereby proximately causes great bodily injury or death to themselves or any other person, is guilty of a misdemeanor.”
Does Amor Amacio have a prior criminal history or prior enforcement actions taken by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC)?
Yes. Investigative reporter Jeremiah Dobruck has documented this history, including Amor Amacio’s prior criminal prosecution and action taken by ABC. After Amor Amacio lost her liquor license, the new business (Green Diamond Liquor) was opened under the daughter’s name alone: Syntyche Amacio. The City Prosecutor’s Office alleged in Case #9LB05654 that the mother and daughter conspired by placing the new business under Syntyche Amacio’s name while Amor still operated the business. Both of them pleaded guilty to this conspiracy charge.
Has a liquor store owner or employee ever been banned for life as the result of a misdemeanor case?
To our knowledge, this is the first time the owner or employee of a liquor store, or any person operating under a license issued by ABC, has been given a lifetime ban. Amor Amacio will be on probation for 5 years and Syntyche will be on probation for 1 year. During this time, the judge in the case can enforce this ban. After they are off probation, ABC will be responsible for enforcing the ban.
Is the Green Diamond Liquor store still owned by Amor Amacio or Syntyche Amacio, or any member of their family?
According to media reports and public records, the store was sold and is now run under a different name by a different operator with no ties to the Amacio family.