Former Avon Lake fire chief indicted on more charges

The list of charges against a former Avon Lake fire chief continued to grow Nov. 21, after a Lorain County grand jury release a supplementary indictment.

Lawrence E. Grizzell, 60, of Elyria, is already facing 16 felony charges — eight counts each of sexual battery and gross sexual imposition.

The supplementary indictment released Nov. 21 raises that to 24 charges as they have now added eight counts of rape.

Grizzell had previously pleaded not guilty to his initial indictment during an arraignment hearing Nov. 15.

He was scheduled for a pretrial Nov. 21 before Lorain County Common Pleas Court Judge D. Chris Cook.

Grizzell was arrested without incident at 4:15 p.m., Oct. 1, in his Gulf Road home after an investigation that began Sept. 30, according to a news release from the Elyria Police Department.

According to the release, Grizzell made admissions related to the charges to the police.

While the case was in Elyria Municipal Court, Judge Robert C. White ordered his telephone privileges while incarcerated would be revoked, with the exception of calls to clergy or his defense attorney, according to court records.

According to court personnel, that stipulation is still in place.

He is being held in the Lorain County Jail on $1.25 million bond.

Grizzell will be arraigned on the new charges Nov. 29 and is scheduled for a pretrial on Dec. 14.