Photo: Aaron Youmans
An area man is accused of stealing from the residence of a deceased male. Forty-nine-year-old Aaron Youmans of Melbourne was released from the Stone County Detention Center last week after posting a bond of $10,000.
According to the probable cause affidavit, a female went to the Mountain View Police Department on Jan. 18 to request an officer accompany her to her friend’s residence along North Vine Avenue. She stated her friend died in June of 2020 following a battle with cancer, and she wanted to use her key to get into the residence to check if anything was missing. She claimed a van was missing from the driveway, and she was concerned other items could be.
An officer went with the female to the residence and observed a green pickup truck in the driveway and a black motorcycle in the carport. The female reportedly discovered several firearms, a keyboard piano and titles for a motorcycle, a pickup truck and a camper/van were missing.
The female said she found a note on the kitchen table from someone named “Aaron,” and a phone number was on it. The female called but did not get an answer. When investigators returned to the office, they discovered the number belonged to Youmans.
A check of the stolen van showed it was newly registered to a North Little Rock female. She told authorities she purchased the van for $1,000 in a Walmart parking lot from a male using a name matching that of the deceased.
Investigators later received a call from Youmans concerning his name being brought up in an investigation. He was picked up by authorities for an interview and reportedly stated the first time he went to the residence was sometime between eight months and a year following the male’s death. Youmans claimed the two were friends, and he was given keys to the house and the van in case he needed them. He reportedly thought he was going to stay there, and no one had gone to the residence throughout the year after the man’s passing.
Youmans also claimed a neighbor asked about the price of the van, and he replied $1,000. He said he was hesitant because he did not know if he could legally sell it, but the neighbor said he could. Youmans reportedly admitted to having titles for the other vehicles, but he could not remember where the one for the motorcycle was, and he did not have the keys.
Youmans later stated he threw the keyboard away and sold two firearms online nearly a year prior. He did not say anything about the other two firearms, when asked about them. When authorities stated they would need the key to the residence and the title he had, he stated the items were in a lockbox somewhere else. After he was transported back home, he did not make contact with the Mountain View Police Department and did not respond to its text messages.
A bench warrant was issued for his arrest in February. He was arrested and booked into the Stone County Detention Center on Feb. 15. His bond was originally set at $15,000 before being lowered to $10,000.
Youmans faces five counts of theft of property, including four felonies and a misdemeanor. He is also facing felony counts of residential burglary, second-degree forgery, theft of a vehicle and breaking or entering.
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