MAN IS CHARGED IN FATAL SHOOTING

A Lane County man fatally shot a woman while defending his
marijuana-growing operation during a robbery, authorities said.

Alan Smith, 44, was charged with murder with a firearm after the
shooting at his home in Goshen, a small town on Interstate 5 south of
Eugene, the Lane County Sheriff's Office said.

Lane County investigators said that Debra Contreras, 48, of Eugene
accompanied James Stover Jr. and Travis Classen to Smith's house
Friday. Investigators said that the three planned to take money and
drugs from Smith.

Contreras waited outside while Stover, 41, and Classen, 24, tried to
enter Smith's house, investigators said. Smith confronted Stover and
Classen with a shotgun.

"Shots were fired by Smith, and Contreras was fatally wounded and
died at the scene," investigators said.

Stover and Classen were arrested on charges of burglary and
conspiracy to commit robbery.