Collier County woman arrested, accused of possessing cocaine and stealing mother’s car

Writer: Melissa Montoya
Published: Updated:
Essence Hutto, 23. (CREDIT: Collier County Sheriff’s Office)

A 23-year-old Collier County woman was arrested after the Collier County Sheriff’s Office says she stole her mother’s car.

Essence Marie Hutto faces charges of grand theft auto, cocaine possession, smuggling a controlled substance into a jail, and possessing narcotics equipment.

According to an arrest report, Hutto’s mother reported the Hyundai Elantra stolen after her daughter, who is homeless, was allowed over at their home to do laundry.

Hutto’s mother noticed the vehicle was missing on Friday morning.

The sheriff’s office found the vehicle driving erratically in the area of Rattlesnake Hammock and County Barn roads near Lely.

When they stopped the stolen vehicle, they found Hutto behind the wheel. Hutto told deputies the vehicle was hers and that she took it from her mom’s house to run errands.

She was arrested for grand theft, but when a deputy searched through her belongings, he found a “red straw with white powder residue and burnt tinfoil which is commonly used together with narcotics drugs,” according to the arrest report.

The deputy asked Hutto if she had drugs on her and they were found at the jail, she could be charged with smuggling, but Hutto denied having any drugs, according to the arrest report.

At the jail, during a strip search, authorities found a small baggie with what appeared to be 7 grams of cocaine. The drug paraphernalia, however, did not field test positive for cocaine.

Hutto remains in custody at Collier County jail.

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