Watchung Mother-Son Duo Accused of Stealing Thousands From Gym Lockers

A Watchung woman and her son along with another man are accused of stealing several thousand dollars in cash as well as credit cards, cell phones and personal items from six lockers over a two-week period at Lifetime Fitness, Florham Park Police said.

Justin Bower, 20, and Diane Bower-Underwood, 47, of Watchung, and Brian Gillespie, 35, of Sterling, were each charged with multiple counts of burglary, credit card theft, conspiracy and trespassing.

A total of $3,100 in cash, several credit cards, cell phones and other personal items were stolen from lockers at Lifetime Fitness between July 21 and Aug. 8, Capt. Robert Treiber said.

All the lockers had combination locks on them, and many of the locks appeared not to be tampered with, according to a past statement by Treiber.

Treiber said most of the victims reported a similar description of a man who may have been watching them as they entered their locker combinations.

Police identified Bower, Bower-Underwood and Gillespie through video surveillance at places where the victims' credit cards were used and with the assistance of Berkeley Heights Police, which were investigating similar incidents at the Lifetime Fitness in that town, Treiber said.

Police located and arrested the trio at the Howard Johnson Hotel on Route 22 West in North Plainfield on Aug. 13.

Bower, Bower-Underwood and Gillespie each face six count of conspiracy to commit burglary, four counts of conspiracy to commit credit card theft and three counts of conspiracy to commit theft of movable property. Bower faces an additional four counts of criminal trespassing.

Bower was also arrested and charged by Berkeley Heights Police for charges in that town. His bail was set at $10,000 and he is currently incarcerated in Morris County, Treiber said.

Gillespie and Bower-Underwood were released pending a future court date.