Erica Dunning Hutcherson, 34, thought she had the perfect scam when she saw a 2005 Cadillac for sale in the front yard of a Nashville residence in February.
Metro police say she stopped and made contact with the owner of the vehicle, saying she was interested in the Cadillac, but insisted on seeing the title during the visit. The victim produced the title, and says while Hutcherson was holding it to view it, she got inside the vehicle and drove away, making no payment to the victim.
The victim attempted to report the car stolen that day, February 3rd, but the report was not taken by police. The report was accepted on a second attempt, on February 5th, and flagged as stolen. When police ran a registration check on the VIN, it showed as being registered on February 4th in Lawrence County by Erica Hutcherson. Police showed a photo line up to the victim, who identified Hutcherson as the person that stole her vehicle.
Hutcherson was served with the outstanding warrant on Thursday March 7th, charging her with theft of a vehicle ($2,500-$10,000). She is free on a $2,500 bond.
