A Birds Eye View and a Good Dogs Nose – Sex Offender Headed to Jail
Authorities say they arrested a registered sex offender on Tuesday after he injured a homeowner during a burglary in the 800 block of Swan Road in Sunnyside.
DEPUTIES USED A DRONE TO LOCATE THE SUSPECT IN A TREE LINE
Deputies from the Yakima County Sheriff's Office say after the homeowner was assaulted by the suspect he fled on foot and that's when deputies used a special tool to find the suspect who officers spotted swimming in a nearby canal. Authorities set up a perimeter and used a drone to find the suspect hiding in a tree line. A press release from the Yakima County Sheriff's Office says " The drone operator was able to give the suspect's location to a contact team utilizing K9 Simcoe. The K9 team was able to approach the subject who surrendered and was taken into incident without further incident."
THE SUSPECT IS KNOWN TO LAW ENFORCEMENT
Detectives say the suspect, 47-year-old Jose Martinez Jr. from Sunnyside is no stranger to law enforcement. They say he's a registered sex offender.
He's being held in the Yakima County jail on charges of 2nd degree trespassing, 1st degree Assault, Obstructing, and Resisting Arrest.
Deputies aren't saying how the homeowner was injured as the investigation continues Today.
HUNDREDS OF SEX OFFENDERS MAKE THEIR HOME IN THE YAKIMA VALLEY
In 2016 the Yakima County Sheriff's Office was monitoring 894 offenders Today that number has grown to 940 with 63 being level three offenders the most likely to reoffend.
Authorities are urging parents to know where the offenders live to protect kids. Kerry Ann Ross the Records Supervisor for the Yakima County Sheriff's Office says information is available on the sheriff's office website.
the Yakima County Sheriff's Office website allows anyone to find out if a sex offender lives in the neighborhood. https://www.yakimacounty.us/269/Sex-Offender-Levels
Level three offenders are considered the most dangerous and the most likely to re-offend.
All the sex offenders are visited or monitored by sheriff's deputies on a weekly or monthly basis.