A Mattituck man was arrested under Suffolk County’s social host law for allowing underage drinking at his residence.
Southold Town Police said they were called to a home on Factory Avenue in Mattituck on a report of underage drinking there.
Responding officers found approximately 50 youths at the residence and observed many of them drinking alcohol, police said in a press release.
The homeowner, Pedro Diaz, the father of the youth hosting the party, was present when police arrived, according to the report. He failed to attempt to stop the consumption of alcohol by minors, police said.
Diaz, 49, was arrested and charged under Suffolk County’s social host law, police said. The social host law makes it unlawful for an adult homeowner or tenant to knowingly allow the consumption of alcohol by a minor on his premises. Violation of the social host law is an unclassified misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 for the first offense.
Diaz was arrested and transported to police headquarters where he was processed and released on cash bail, according to the police report.
Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. By law, a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
