12 underage drinkers arrested at SPAC show

PHOTOGRAPHER: Stephen Williams

A dozen arrests for underage drinking were made at Sunday’s Brantley Gilbert concert at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and 13 IDs were confiscated, the state Department of Motor Vehicles reported Wednesday.

A DMV field team was checking the IDs of those who sought to buy alcohol on SPAC grounds, and confiscating any fake IDs they found. Those apprehended face DMV administration action that could see their drivers’ licenses suspended for a minimum of 90 days.

Of the fake licenses or ID cards, DMV officials said four were from Connecticut, three from Pennsylvania, and one each from South Carolina, New Hampshire and New Jersey. Two people were arrested for using driver’s licenses that were valid but didn’t belong to them. A fraudulent Ohio license was seized, as well.

In addition, state park police made seven arrests associated with the concert, including two for DWI, two for underage drinking, two for assault and one for leaving the scene of a property damage accident.

Authorities believe most of the fake identifications were purchased over the Internet from foreign countries.

State Park Police Chief David Herrick said enforcement actions are also planned at the upcoming Five Seconds of Summer, Chris Brown and Zac Brown Band concerts. “Park police will continue our zero-tolerance policy for underage drinking in our state parks,” Herrick said.