BEAVER — A convicted sex offender accused of first-degree arson allegedly was involved in a failed dating relationship with the woman whose house he is accused of trying to destroy, according to court documents.
Marshall Jay Lewis, 36, of Sedro-Woolley, will appear in Clallam County Superior Court at 1 p.m. today for the filing of charges after his arrest for investigation of the additional charges of voyeurism, telephone harassment and residential burglary connected to the New Year’s Day morning fire.
Lewis was arrested Friday at his Sedro-Woolley residence after Sedro-Woolley police kicked down his door when he failed to respond, Police Chief Lin Tucker said Tuesday.
He was transported Friday to the Clallam County jail.
Bond of $125,000 was set in Superior Court on Monday.
Harry Gasnick, director of Clallam Public Defender, said Tuesday that Lewis is not expected to enter a plea today.
Lewis allegedly set a New Year’s Day early morning fire to the Beaver-area U.S. Highway 101 residence of a woman who cut off a dating relationship with him after discovering he is a Level 1 sex offender, according to a 17-page probable cause statement the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed Monday in Superior Court.
The probable cause statement contained the following allegations:
No one was home at the time of the fire, although Lewis traveled to the residence to set the blaze believing the woman was there.
He admitted to Sedro-Woolley authorities that he was at the woman’s house at 9 a.m. Jan. 1, shortly before the fire was reported to 9-1-1, but denied setting the fire.
He also admitted to creating a website that contained pornographic images of the woman, who told authorities she did not consent to being recorded.
Before her house was torched, the woman told authorities that she was “concerned Marshall may burn down or vandalize her house.”
Authorities used cellphone and cell tower records to show that hours before the blaze, Lewis called the woman’s phone numerous times.
They traced his movements from Sedro-Woolley to a cellphone transmission at 9:15 a.m. Jan. 1.
The fire was reported to 9-1-1 at 9:14 a.m. Jan. 1.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
