Layza Pinero Resto
•9/2/2026
A Charlotte County man was arrested by deputies with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office after they say he stole two boat motors. CCSO says that they first received information regarding the reported theft via an online tip. The tip alleged that a man named William "Ernie" Hutchens stole a teal boat with two motors. The tip went on to say that the boat was parked at a business in Englewood. Detectives went to the business, where they inspected the property for stolen items. While conducting the inspection, deputies noticed a teal boat matching the description given in the tip. No motors were on the back of the boat, according to deputies. Deputies spoke with Hutchens, who reportedly told them that there were no motors on his boat and that it had been months since he last had a motor on the boat. Another worker at the business told deputies that he saw the boat with motors on it, and that he saw Hutchens removing them with a gantry crane. The worker added that he saw Hutchens placing the two motors in his truck. Deputies managed to locate Hutchens' truck, where they say they found two large items covered by a tarp in the bed in plain view. CCSO says that there were exposed parts that confirmed the two objects were motors, along with fluid leaking that was consistent with motor oil. A search warrant was obtained for the truck, where deputies checked the serial numbers and found that they had been scratched off to be unreadable. The two motors were valued at $20,000 each. Hutchens was arrested and faces the following charges: Two counts of possessing any outboard motor with serial number removed Two counts of grand theft of more than $20K and less than $100K Two counts of trafficking in stolen property DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV
