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Patricia Jeanette Hutto

Patricia Jeanette Hutto, age 71, born in Century, FL and a resident of Bay Minette, AL died Saturday, July 18, 2026 at Diversicare in Foley. She was a retired probate clerk for the Baldwin County Probate Office.

She is survived by her aunt, Mary Martin of Seminole, AL; her cousin, Randy (Mary Margaret) Martin of Seminole, AL and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Beckie White Hutto; a brother, Paul Harice Hutto and a sister, Veronica Salazar.

Funeral services will be held Friday, July 24, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at the chapel of Norris Funeral Home with Reverend Dalton Stuart and Dr. Henry Cox officiating. Burial will be at Pineview Cemetery at a later time.

The family will receive Friday, July 24, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. until the 11:00 a.m. service at Norris Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675 or to North Baldwin Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 190, Bay Minette, AL 36507.

New I-10 Exit At Beulah Road, Hwy 29 Improvements, Other Projects For Escambia County

Hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure projects have been funded in the state budget signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

All total, Sen. Don Gaetz said Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties were approved for $370 million in state funds for 86 projects.

Gaetz said, “If we are going to serve our current population, grow, create jobs, attract industry and expand our military missions, building out our transportation infrastructure is job one.  I’m grateful for the $370 million secured for this year’s projects and I’m committed to finding the billion dollars we need to complete our five-year work plan and meet our transportation priorities.”

North Escambia Transportation Projects

Some of the key projects for the North Escambia area include:

• A new interchange on I-10 at Beulah Road (concept drawing above), along with widening 3.1 miles of I-10 to six lanes and extending Beulah Road.
• Intersection improvements at Highway 29 and Highway 196 with safety improvements.
• Resurface North Century Boulevard (Highway 29) from Tedder Road to East Highway 4 in Century.
• Install two pedestrian crossings on North Century Boulevard (Highway 29) in Century.
• Widen all approaches at Beulah Road and Frank Reeder Road, including new turn lanes while extending the northbound right-turn lane on Beulah Road and adding a westbound right-turn lane on Frank Reeder Road.
• Replace the I-10 bridge over Pine Forest Road with an extended layout configured to support an upcoming three-lane road system.

Escambia County Transportation Projects (FY 2027-2031)

Jay Operations Manager, Recent City Manager Contender Arrested On Sex Offender Violation

The Town of Jay’s operations manager—who was recently considered for the town manager position—was arrested Monday morning during a sex offender compliance sweep.

April Burford Watson, 50, was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail at approximately 10:47 a.m. She is charged with a felony sex offender violation for failure to register as required. As of early Tuesday morning, she was being held without bond.

Watson’s arrest was reportedly part of a morning targeting registered sex offenders accused of violating state registration requirements.

Watson currently serves as the operations manager for the Town of Jay. Earlier this month, she was under consideration to become the next town manager. However, the town council opted on July 7 not to fill the position.

Watson’s requirement to register as a sexual offender stems from an August 2009 arrest. At the time, Watson and another former Jay High School teacher were charged with engaging in unlawful sexual activity with three 17-year-old male students during July and October of 2007.

In April 2010, Watson was found guilty on three counts of unlawful sexual activity with certain minors. She was sentenced to 15 months in state prison, serving one year behind bars. Her sentence was followed by 18 months of community control and five years of probation, along with a lifelong requirement to register as a sexual offender under Florida law.

Bertha Brings Breezy Conditions, Rain To North Escambia

Tropical Storm Bertha will bring breezy conditions and increase rain chances for North Escambia.

For the latest on Tropical Storm Bertha, click here.

Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:

Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. East wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tuesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 76. East wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Wednesday: Showers likely before 10am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 10am and 1pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Heat index values as high as 106. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am, then a slight chance of showers between 1am and 4am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 77. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Friday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 76. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Saturday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75.

Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly clear, with a low around 76.

Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.

Need Sand For Flood Prep? It’s Available Free In Escambia County

With a tropical storm watch in effect for the Northwest Florida coastline, Escambia County  has free sand available for residents living in flood prone areas

The sand is available on a first come, first served basis 24 hours a day at the following locations:

• Don Sutton Park – 2320 Crabtree Church Road, Molino
• Travis M. Nelson Park -  4541 Highway 4, Bratt
• Equestrian Center – 7750 Mobile Highway, Pensacola
• John R. Jones Jr. Athletic Park – 555 E. Nine Mile Road, Pensacola
• Escambia County Road Department – 601 Highway 297-A
• Ferry Pass Middle School – 8355 Yancey Lane, Pensacola (NW cornerschool property on Parazine Street)
• Baars Field Athletic Park – 13001 Sorrento Road, Pensacola
• Brent Athletic Park – 4711 N. W St., Pensacola

Residents must bring their own sandbags and shovels. Sandbags are typically available for purchase at home improvement and hardware stores.

Pictured: Sand at Travis M. Nelson Park in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.

Latest Updates: Tropical Storm Bertha

Tropical Storm Bertha continues move west across the Gulf. The latest information is in the graphics on this page.

Two Escambia County Tax Preparers Plead Guilty In Fraudulent Tax Return Scheme

Two Escambia County tax preparers have pleaded guilty to federal charges for an alleged fraudulent tax return scheme.

D’ontrinique K. Johnson, formerly known as D’ontrinique K. Wilkerson, 30, and Tequilla D. Nairn, formerly known as Tequilla D. Robinson, 37, both of Pensacola, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to aid or assist in preparation of false tax returns and to stealing government money and filing false tax returns and three counts of filing a false tax return. Nairn additionally pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of wire fraud.

Court documents reflect that Johnson worked as a tax preparer for Nairn, who owned and operated First Premium Solutions, a tax return preparation business in Escambia County. Between 2021 and 2023, Nairn and Johnson conspired to routinely prepare fraudulent federal income tax returns for their clients as well as fraudulent personal returns, collectively preventing the payment of more than $192,000 in federal taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service. Nairn and Johnson knew the returns they prepared contained materially false items, such as fraudulent credits or business information, which were never provided to them by their clients. In 2020 and 2021, Nairn also fraudulently filed for and obtained unemployment insurance benefits from both Florida and Virginia by falsely claiming she was not working due to the COVID pandemic and had not applied for benefits from other states, all while working as a tax preparer and not reporting the additional benefits on her tax returns.

Johnson’s sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. and Nairn’s sentencing is scheduled for October 8, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. If convicted, Johnson and Nairn face up to five years imprisonment for the conspiracy count and up to three years imprisonment for each filing a false tax return count. Nairn additionally faces a mandatory consecutive two years imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft count and up to 20 years imprisonment for the wire fraud count.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation and the FBI.

Escambia Master Deputy Christopher Echele Receives Sheriff’s Award

Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Christopher Echele has received the Sheriff’s Medal Award from Sheriff Chip Simmons. the award recognizes his outstanding leadership and dedication to the Escambia County Sheriffs’ Office. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Tropical Storm Bertha Forms

Tropical Storm Bertha formed Monday afternoon about 190 miles southeast of Mobile with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.

A tropical storm watch includes the Florida Panhandle and South Alabama coastlines to Louisiana. Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch
area in the Florida Panhandle by late tonight into Tuesday. Tropical storm conditions are possible within the remainder of the watch area by late Tuesday night into Wednesday.

The primary threat for Escambia County is storm surge at the coast. A high surf warning will be in effect from Tuesday afternoon into early evening. Inland, the tropical storm is capable of producing several inches of rainfall.

The current forecast takes Bertha into Louisiana Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

Couple Charged With Felony Aggravated Child Abuse For Alleged Physical Abuse, Severe Neglect Of Young Girl

Several felony charges against a local couple following allegations of physical abuse, confinement, and food deprivation involving their elementary-school-aged daughter.

Justin Patrick Redd, 33, and his wife, Brittney Michelle Redd, 28, have both been charged with identical offenses, including felony aggravated child abuse (domestic violence), felony neglect of a child with great bodily harm, and a misdemeanor charge of a parent failing to require school attendance. At the time of their arrests, both suspects provided residential addresses located in Jay though the offenses are documented by law enforcement as occurring within Escambia County. Detention records indicate that both individuals remain in the county jail on Monday morning with bond set at $201,000 each.

According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit, the allegations involve a single elementary-school-aged child who lived in the home. Court records clarified that Justin Patrick Redd is the child’s biological father, while Brittney Michelle Redd is her stepmother.

Medical Evaluation and Chronological History of Physical Decline

Sheriff’s investigators compiled extensive medical records from multiple Northwest Florida healthcare facilities, establishing a documented timeline of physical decline and weight fluctuations while under the suspects’ care, contrasted with immediate recoveries under hospital supervision:

• Initial Baseline Weight: Prior to the father obtaining full custody, records show the child had a stable medical baseline. On December 11, 2022, she was evaluated at HCA Florida West Hospital for an ankle injury and weighed 60.62 pounds. On January 27, 2023, clinic documentation records her weight at 63.1 pounds.
• Custody and Early Deterioration (Late 2023): Law enforcement notes indicate Justin Redd obtained physical custody in May 2023 and official court custody in December 2023. In October 2023, hospital staff treated the child for vomiting, headaches, and constipation, recording her weight at 65.03 pounds. By December 2023, medical charts show her weight had begun to slip to 64.59 pounds.
• Rapid Deterioration and Self-Harm (Summer 2024): Medical records show that on June 29, 2024, the child was admitted to Baptist Hospital after she stopped eating, was scratching her skin until it bled, and suffered from severe skin conditions, with her weight recorded at 53.60 pounds. Hospital staff admitted her for inpatient treatment; records show that in four days under direct medical supervision, she gained 8.79 pounds, discharging at 62.39 pounds.
• The Push for a Feeding Tube: By late August 2024, clinical tracking shows her weight collapsed again to 50.21 pounds. On August 21, 2024, she was taken to Community Health Northwest Florida to discuss surgical placement of a gastric feeding tube. That same day, she was admitted to Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital for inpatient psychiatric care, where records show that while removed from the household environment, she gained 8.16 pounds in 13 days under hospital care, discharging at 58.86 pounds.
• Failure to Thrive and Final Collapse (Fall/Winter 2024): In late September 2024, she was evaluated at HCA Florida West Hospital specifically for “failure to thrive”. On October 4, 2024, she was seen for a check-up regarding the pending feeding tube surgery. By December 26, 2024, her weight had plummeted to 47 pounds during a clinic visit where medical staff noted she was urinating blood.
• Emergency Transfer for Kidney Failure: On December 27, 2024, she was admitted to HCA Florida West Hospital weighing 45.19 pounds. Doctors diagnosed her with hematuria, nausea, vomiting, a kidney stone, and thyrotoxicosis. Because of her critical state, hospital personnel immediately transferred her to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville for intensive care.

Upon admission to Shands Hospital, the child’s severe physical state was documented by medical personnel:

• Severe Cachexia and Atrophy: Hospital records describe the child as extremely malnourished, presenting with temporal wasting, prominent cheekbones, and noticeable muscle atrophy of both her upper and lower extremities.
• Systemic Dermatological Damage: Medical exams documented that her entire body was covered in thick, white, scaly, and patchy skin, which was later clinically linked directly to the profound level of malnutrition she experienced. She also had dry, chapped lips.
• Physical Trauma and Abrasions: The physical exam documented multiple abrasions and bruises over her bilateral anterior lateral bony prominences of the pelvis, knees, and tailbone, which investigators noted were consistent with reports of sleeping on a hard floor without blankets or bedding.
• Rapid Weight Recovery Under Hospital Care: Highlighting that her physical state was tied to external food deprivation rather than an organic medical condition, hospital records show the child’s weight rapidly improved as soon as she was removed from her father and stepmother’s care. During her 14-day stay at Shands Hospital, she met 100% of her daily caloric needs and gained 19 pounds, rising from 47 pounds at admission to 66 pounds at discharge.

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Confinement and Daily Conditions

During interviews with medical staff, social workers, and forensic investigators, the child described her living conditions within the home. She stated she was restricted to a diet consisting of one to two bowls of oatmeal per day, which her father spoon-fed to her, and that on limited occasions, she was given cold canned kidney beans.

The victim reported to investigators that she was locked inside her bedroom for extended periods by a golden metal lock installed on the exterior of her door. Because she was denied regular access to the bathroom, she experienced frequent toileting accidents. She stated to forensic interviewers that following these accidents, she was placed in hot or cold showers and instructed to “shake off like a dog” because she was told they had lost her towel.

Investigators noted that the child’s bedroom dresser had been turned around to face the wall to block her access to clothing, and she was forced to wear a pull-up diaper. The room was monitored by security cameras, and the child stated she was ordered by her parents to stand for long periods and was forbidden from sitting or touching the furniture. She also disclosed to interviewers that she was excluded from celebrating holidays, including Halloween, Christmas, and her birthday.

Digital Search and Facebook Evidence

As part of the multi-month investigation, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office utilized digital forensics to examine online activity surrounding the household. Investigative files show that a formal preservation request was initially sent to Meta Platforms, Inc. for Brittney Redd’s Facebook account.

On May 14, 2025, an investigator secured a formal search warrant for the account, which was reviewed and signed by Honorable Judge Jennifer Frydrychowicz. On May 20, 2025, a search warrant return and a Non-Disclosure Order signed by Judge Frydrychowicz were processed through the Clerk of Court and served to Meta Platforms, Inc. According to the final narrative, the data downloaded from the Meta return did not yield items of direct evidentiary value, but the digital records were compiled onto a USB drive and submitted into the agency’s official evidence repository.

Separate from the official platform return, family members provided investigators with screenshots of past public Facebook activity from the account. Witnesses stated that a photo of the child in soiled underwear had previously been posted to the page in what they believed was an attempt to shame her. Another family witness noted utilizing a separate profile to monitor the child’s condition online, observing a photograph dated November 7, 2024, in which the child appeared noticeably thin. These screenshots were successfully uploaded to the Sheriff’s Office tracking system.

School History and Discrepancies in Suspect Statements

School district records obtained via subpoena by the State Attorney’s Office showed the child was enrolled in an elementary school on January 8, 2024, but was withdrawn by her father on May 10, 2024. Investigators found she was not re-enrolled in any online curriculum or formal education program during the subsequent months.

When interviewed by Sheriff’s Office investigators, Justin and Brittney Redd denied the allegations of abuse, attributing the child’s weight loss and behavior to psychiatric issues, auditory hallucinations, and a self-imposed calorie obsession linked to past trauma. Justin Redd claimed to deputies that medical staff at Baptist Hospital had previously advised them the child was a danger to herself and others.

However, investigators reviewed medical and counseling files from Lakeview Center and Baptist Hospital, stating they did not contain records labeling the child a danger to others or validating a self-imposed calorie obsession. The documentation revealed the parents had missed 14 scheduled medical appointments.

Current Status

Following her medical discharge on January 10, 2025, child welfare files indicate the child was placed in the care of her maternal grandfather.

By March 2025, reports from investigators indicated the child had reached a weight of 80 pounds, and her laboratory blood work had returned to normal parameters. Records state she was enrolled in a physical third-grade classroom, where her teacher described her as sweet and shy, noting she exhibited regular eating habits, normal peer interactions, and no behavioral or restroom issues. School is currently out for the summer, and the legal proceedings against Justin Patrick Redd and Brittney Michelle Redd remain active.

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