Hernando County Sheriff's office says the man found dead in a hotel parking lot early Thursday morning was murdered by a woman he met a few hours before.

Kayla Collins, 23, was wanted on assorted charges

Murder victim met Collins at adult entertainment club in Pasco



Detectives believe Collins shot the victim, then left with his truck

Sheriff Al Nienhuis said Georgia resident Jeffrey Lott was staying at the Spring Hill Holiday Inn Express for work when he went out Wednesday evening. He went to Lollipop's, an adult entertainment club off US-19 in Pasco County.

The sheriff said he met Kayla Breann Evelyn Lucille Collins, 23, and a few of her friends there. They decided to leave the club and head to a local Denny's.

Sheriff Nienhuis said Lott asked Collins to drive his truck, since he had been drinking. They stopped at an ATM, and then drove to the Holiday Inn Express where Lott was staying.

"They ended up back at the Holiday Inn Express, where he was shot several times and she left with this vehicle," Nienhuis said.

Lott was shot five times in the midsection.

Collins then drove Lott's truck to Denny's and met her friends. She later dumped the truck at a vacant property in Pasco County at Peace Boulevard and Jayare Road.

Hernando County deputies found Lott's truck and some of his belongings, and were then able to track Collins down to New Port Richey. There, Pasco County deputies took her into custody after a brief pursuit ended with Collins running face first into a sliding glass door.

According to Pasco officials, when units responded to a home on 7200 block of Abington Avenue in New Port Richey in reference to location of the suspect, another resident of the home told them Collins was in the house. Collins then appeared in the house's hallway, saw deputies at the door and attempted to escape.

She then collided with the sliding glass door. Deputies took her into custody without further incident.

Collins was booked into the Land O' Lakes Detention Center.

Sheriff Nienhuis said he is not sure what the motive was behind the shooting, but it's "not unlikely it was robbery."