EVERETT, Wash. -- A level-three sex offender has been free in Everett for four days without the knowledge of local police or neighbors, reported KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.

Sidney Jay Summiel spent more than five years in prison for child rape and was slated to be released last week in Oak Harbor near where he committed his crimes.

Last week, Gov. Christine Gregoire heard Summiel was going to be homeless in that city. She convinced the Department of Corrections to release him in Everett.

Summiel was released on Friday, but neither Everett police nor neighbors of the sex offender were notified.

Everett police learned of Summiel's release in the area from KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Gary Horcher, who first reported on Summiel's planned move to Everett last week.

Summiel is required to be under close supervison and wears a transmitter on his ankle.

By law, neighbors should be given at least two weeks' notice when a sex offender is moving into their area, but neighbors with whom Horcher spoke said they had no knowledge that the level-three offender was living nearby.

The DOC told Horcher it had little time to react to Summiel's release and, thus, did not give neighbors or police the usual month's notice.

Everett police said by law they cannot notify neighbors about a sex offender until they receive an official fax from the DOC.

The DOC said they faxed a warning about Summiel to Everett police on Friday, but Everett police told KIRO 7 they never got it.

The state considers level-three sex offenders as a high risk to reoffend.

The law requires notification in at least one major newspaper. No newspapers were notified.

Summiel will be under surveillance by local police for at least five years.