MELROSE — A Gainesville man is accused of destroying an ATM at a small business, causing thousands of dollars of damage Monday morning, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
Aubrey Strong, 24, was charged with property damage, two counts of burglary, possessing burglary tools and larceny.
A sheriff’s office report said Strong broke a window, a metal lock and security bars with a sledgehammer to enter the Melrose Food Mart, on 1647 State Road 100, at about 5 a.m. Monday. The report said Strong removed an ATM inside the store from its hinges and kicked it until it was inoperable.
The report said the extent of property damage was greater than $1,000.
Strong later ran from deputies and he was arrested in the back of an SUV near a wooded area, according to the report.
As of Monday evening, Strong is still at Putnam County Jail on a $39,000 bond.
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