THE INSIDE TRACK
A woman with a gun kept officers at bay in a Ventura County motel for nearly five hours Wednesday, forcing the closure of Highway 33 for several blocks and causing backups as far south as Casitas Springs before she surrendered.
Paulette Lewis, 46, described by neighbors as the owner of a soap shop in midtown Ventura, surrendered to police at about 4 p.m. after hours of negotiations. The standoff began when she apparently fired a shot at about 10:30 a.m. while in a room at the Oakridge Inn, just blocks from her home, and ended after her son arrived at the scene.
Sheriff’s officials said they did not know why Lewis remained holed up for hours.
“We’re just trying to learn more about her,” Sr. Deputy Kim Garrett said.
Lewis has lived at her Oak View home for about 15 years with her husband and two sons, neighbors said.
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