(left to right) Aaron D. Baccus, Raychelle Jones, and Gerald J. Pearson.

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

Three people accused of smashing open a bank ATM and making off with a large sum of cash the day before Thanksgiving in Virginia have been arrested months after the brazen heist.

A pair of Maryland residents were among the trio who were linked to the brazen holiday burglary in Culpeper that came to a head on Monday when each was arrested and charged, according to the Culpeper Police Department.

The burglary happened around 3:19 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Atlantic Union Bank in the Southgate Shopping Center, according to the Culpeper Police Department.

Investigators said the suspects destroyed the ATM, stole an undisclosed amount of cash, and sped away — managing to evade multiple law enforcement agencies.

Culpeper Police said they quickly relayed a suspect vehicle description to neighboring jurisdictions, prompting pursuits by the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office and the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office. 

Despite those efforts, the suspects fled into Prince George’s County, where the vehicle was later found.

Prince George’s County Police took three people into custody that day on unrelated charges and seized the vehicle, which police said contained evidence tied to the ATM burglary.

After a months-long, multi-state investigation, Culpeper Police on Monday announced charges against:

  • Aaron D. Baccus, 44, of Loganville, Georgia;
  • Raychelle Jones, 26, of Chesapeake Beach, Maryland;
  • Gerald J. Pearson, 40, of Baltimore, Maryland.

All three face charges that include: 

  • Felony conspiracy to commit grand larceny;
  • Felony grand larceny;
  • Felony destruction of property;
  • Felony possession of stolen goods;
  • Felony possession of burglarious tools.

Investigators said the trio conspired to travel from Prince George’s County to Culpeper to burglarize the ATM, using a stolen vehicle from Fairfax County and various burglarious tools to pry it open.

“They emptied the contents of the ATM, to include a large sum of currency, before fleeing back to Prince George’s County,” police said.

Authorities said the suspects were arrested in Maryland while still driving the stolen vehicle with the stolen cash inside. All three are being held without bond pending trial.

On the day of the incident, Chief Chris Settle noted he was “thankful that no law enforcement officers or civilians were harmed” and grateful for the teamwork between agencies that led to the arrests.