An after-homecoming party along the Intracoastal Waterway left the parents of a Boca Raton High School student in legal hot water.
Paul, 51, and Ingrid Paolino, 45, of the 2800 block of Spanish River Road, are charged with hosting an “open house party’’ where minors drank alcohol, a violation of Florida law. The misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
“What am I supposed to do? If they don’t drink here they’ll drink somewhere else,’’ police reported Paul Paolino told them.
‘’There is no comment at this time,’’ Ingrid Paolino said when contacted by phone.
Their Oct. 17 arrests followed two others the previous weekend at the Sanctuary in mainland Boca Raton. Shlomo and Jeannie Rasabi were cited for open house party violations after police said four charter buses from American Heritage School in Plantation dropped off 600 students.
All appeared to be under 21 and most were holding alcoholic beverages, police said. Four were found unconscious in the yard and were taken to Boca Raton Regional Hospital.
In the Spanish River Road case, police said an anonymous caller advised them of a fight involving at least 50 people in the vicinity of the Paolino home. A limousine driver outside told them there had been a disturbance in the street involving several juveniles.
At the house, the Paolinos’ daughter and another teenager were sitting on lawn chairs and refused to open the driveway gate, police said. Police hopped over and started to handcuff them when the Paolinos came out the front door.
Police said they asked Paul Paolino if he would escort them inside the house to make sure no one was fighting and no one was injured. He agreed, but the teenagers inside had locked the front door.
When Paolino took them to the rear of the house, police reported finding a keg of beer in the backyard, a case of beer hidden in a bush and beer containers and cups containing alcohol “lying all over the tables.’’
They also found Charles Kowanetz, who was holding a beer and told police he was 18. Kowanetz was charged with possession of alcohol by a minor. Police said Kowanetz told them the keg was available to anyone who had bought a wrist band at the front door. Kowanetz also said the Paolinos knew the party attendees were under 21 and drinking alcohol, police said.
Police said they located about 50 juveniles hiding inside the house. They asked several their ages; none was 21 or over, police said.
The Paolinos and Kowanetz were given notices to appear in court, as was Erin Castelli, 18, the older of the two girls at the gate. Castelli is charged with resisting an officer without violence. The Paolinos’ daughter was given a juvenile referral report.
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