A U.S. Olympian from Duluth appeared in St. Louis County District Court Monday on his second underage drinking citation in less than a week.
Mason Aguirre, 19, who spends time in Duluth and Mammoth Lakes, Calif., paid a $150 fine and a $10 law library fee Monday in admitting to a Sept. 3 underage consumption violation, a petty misdemeanor. Aguirre also was fined $125 and paid a $10 law library fee for a Aug. 31 underage consumption violation that he admitted to.
Aguirre is a snowboarder who placed fourth for the United States in the halfpipe event in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Aguirre was reached by cellphone Monday afternoon. He politely said he was with friends at the time he was cited for underage consumption, he wasn't driving and he wasn't being reckless. "I don't condone underage drinking," he said and declined further public comment.
According to the Sept. 3 citation: Duluth police responded to a loud party complaint just after midnight. Breath tests were administered and "many of the underage people were betting themselves on what they would register on the PBT [preliminary breath test],'' the police report said.
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Thirteen individuals were cited for underage consumption and were warned that if police had to come back for another loud party complaint they would be tagged for disorderly conduct.
According to the Aug. 31 citation, Aguirre was in a car that was stopped for failing to yield the right of way at 11:20 p.m. Four people were in the car. The officer asked Aguirre if he had been drinking and he admitted he had. He said he had two beers. The officer wrote in a report that Aguirre was cooperative and he was released after being cited.
