By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A 19-year-old lifeguard from the Great Wolf Lodge is jailed, accused of raping a 14-year-old guest of the Grand Mound hotel and indoor water park.
[1]Alex Eduardo Salazar
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office says Alex Eduardo Salazar befriended the girl and she left willingly with him yesterday when his shift ended. The assault occurred in Salazar’s car on a nearby roadside, according to the sheriff’s office.
He then dropped the teen back off to the establishment where she informed her family of what occurred, according to Lt. Greg Elwin.
Deputies arrested Salazar yesterday afternoon at Rochester High School where he is a senior, Elwin said. He lives in the Grand Mound-Centralia area.
The victim sustained minor injuries, according to Elwin.
Great Wolf management is cooperating with investigators and reviewing their protocols, he stated in a news release.
Detectives are seeking the public’s help in identifying any other potential victims.
Elwin said Salazar was initially booked for rape of a child third-degree but at his probable cause hearing was ordered held also on second-degree rape.