Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office wants residents to know a level three registered sex offender is newly listed as living homeless in Lewis County.

Fauzi Bin Zain, 27, got in trouble at age 17 and served his time for the crime, according to the sheriff’s office. He had engaged in sexual intercourse with a 12-year-old girl, pleaded guilty and was convicted of second-degree rape of a child, according to sheriff’s detective Brad Borden.

In 2007, Zain was convicted for failure to register as a sex offender, and was released from prison back into Lewis County on Wednesday, according to the sheriff’s office.

Public notification of where registered sex offenders reside is intended to enhance public safety, according to the sheriff’s office.

For further details about Zain and his photo, check the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office website where he is among 22 level three sex offenders registered with addresses in the county.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Troopers blame a driver falling asleep for a single-car crash on Wednesday on state Route 508, about 15 miles west of Morton.

A 59-year-old Vancouver woman was eastbound when her car crossed over the oncoming lanes, hit a ditch and then struck a power pole and a fence, according to the Washington State Patrol. Troopers called to the scene at 1 p.m. found the 1999 Dodge Intrepid totaled.

A 13-year-old male passenger was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital with a broken ankle, according to the state patrol.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Centralia police announced a new hire at their department; Lobo, a German Shepherd who is preparing to work with Officer Ruben Ramirez.

Lobo, Centralia's newest police dog

The 1-year-old dog is undergoing orientation and will begin formal training in September, according to a news release from Centralia Police Department Chief Bob Berg.

Lobo’s $9,000 price tag leaves the department’s K-9 program in need of donations, according to Berg.  Anyone wishing to support the program can contact the department at 330-7680.

More on Lobo another day.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Bail has been set at $25,000 for an Olympia man accused in a drive by shooting in Oakville over the weekend.

Nobody was injured in the Saturday night incident on South Newton Street, but sheriff’s deputies recovered rounds that hit the home and the pickup truck parked in front of it, according to the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office.

The adult female who lives there was returning home from her neighbor’s when it happened at about 9:30 p.m., said sheriff’s office Chief Criminal Deputy David Pimentel.

Pimentel said today investigators are still trying to determine the reason for the attack. They are looking into the possibility more than one person was involved, he said.

Jason C. Keller, 30, of Olympia, was picked up in Thurston County on Sunday and booked for first-degree assault, according to Pimentel.

Keller was charged with drive-by shooting yesterday in Grays Harbor County District Court for a preliminary hearing, and bail was set at $25,000, Grays Harbor County Prosecutor Steward Menefee said today. Menefee said it’s likely Keller will be charged  in Superior Court by July 29.

The woman, whose name Pimentel did not release, lives at the home with an adult male and 6-year-old child, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies recovered a firearm they believe was used. They’re not certain how many shots were fired.

“At this point, we’re thinking probably a half dozen,” Pimentel said.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Centralia’s firefighter’s and police are offering residents two spots to cool off tomorrow as temperatures are expected to be in the mid-90s.

Individuals who need a break from the heat will find air conditioning and water between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) at:

• Centralia city council chambers, 118 W. Maple St.
• Riverside Fire Authority’s station two at 1818 Harrison Ave.

Depending upon the weather, they may open the cooling stations again on Friday, according to a news release from Police Chief Bob Berg and Assistant Fire Chief Rick Mack.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office revealed today that deputies discovered more than 13,000 marijuana plants growing on several acres north of Morton.

Most of them were small starter plants less than 12 inches tall.

However, they also found some camouflaged tents, food and gardening tools as well as fertilizer, insecticide and animal poisons, according to the sheriff’s office.

Following up on a tip from early last week, two detectives and four deputies went to the site about 7 a.m. last Thursday, sheriff’s Cmdr. Steve Aust said this afternoon.

They were fully prepared to arrest multiple people, but nobody was there, he said.

Aust declined to reveal where the grow was except to say it was on several acres in a very remote area, amidst a 40-acre clear cut off of state Route 7.

“We’re trying to keep that a little bit private for now,” he said.

While the sheriff’s office has removed the seedlings, they still have investigative work to do, Aust said. Plus, they don’t want someone else later going out there to use what is now prime planting ground, he said.

The plants totaled 13,825. Among the supplies were tortillas, refried beans and goat cheese, Aust said.

Typically, three to five people will occupy such a site, according to Aust.

Detectives recovered items they believe will lead to the identity of those involved, according to this afternoon’s news release.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

By now, most everyone is probably giddy with the knowledge the temperatures may get up into the mid-90s over the next few days across Western Washington.

However, the Red Cross and the National Weather Service are reminding folks that kind of heat can cause health problems. It’s especially potentially dangerous to the very young and very old, the American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter says. And animals.

Dress lightly, drink lots of fluid and never leave a pet in a car, even for a few minutes, the Red Cross said in a news release this morning.

For more ways to avoid heat-related illnesses, read the Red Cross tips. (more…)