Man charged with stealing 3 ATMs and nearly $5K

The suspects are accused of loading the ATMs into a car and taking them out of Asbury Park, authorities said

ASBURY PARK -- A Neptune Township man has been charged with stealing three ATMs in Asbury Park in a week and taking with him nearly $5,000, authorities said on Thursday.

Aaron Hearon, 51, was charged with burglary and theft on Oct. 1 after city police determined he was responsible for stealing the automated teller machines, two of which were inside businesses and one of which was freestanding outside of a business, said Asbury Park police Officer Michael Casey, spokesman for the department.

Casey said Hearon is accused of breaking into Langosta Lounge and the adjacent Lightly Salted surf shop on Sept. 20 and stealing an ATM that contained $1,700. He said Hearon also stole $3,200 worth of merchandise from the shop and an undetermined amount of liquor from the restaurant.

Hearon is also accused of stealing an ATM from the Passion Group marketing company on the 600 block of Cookman Avenue on Sept. 26. That machine contained $1,600, Casey said.

The next day, Hearon stole an ATM from Convention Hall on the boardwalk after he broke the glass of an outside door to get inside, Casey said. That machine contained $1,500, he said

The ATMs were all found discarded in Neptune, police said.

He said Hearon and another suspect, Darren Covington, 51, are accused of loading the machines into a car and taking them from the scene. Authorities have not been able to locate Covington, he said.

Hearon and Covington have been charged in several other towns where they are accused of committing burglaries and thefts, Casey said.

Anyone with information about the ATM thefts or who has information about the suspects is asked to contact Asbury Park Detective Joseph Spallina at 732-775-2578 or joseph.spallina@cityofasburypark.com.