Hillsborough Man Charged In 2 Franklin Bank Robberies

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — A Hillsborough man has been charged in connection with two recent bank robberies in Franklin Township.

Quintin D. Watson, 50, of Stratford Court, Hillsborough Township was arrested on Friday and charged with two counts of first degree robbery following a search of his home, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson announced Monday.

One of the robberies was at the TD Bank on Route 27 in the Franklin Park section of the township at 12:58 p.m. on Sept. 3.

• See Related: Bank Robber Wanted In Somerset County: Prosecutor

Bank employees reported that an unknown black man approached a bank teller and handed them a note announcing the robbery. After getting an undisclosed amount of cash, he fled on foot in an unknown direction.

Another robbery was reported at the Chase Bank on Elizabeth Avenue in the Somerset section of Franklin Township on Nov. 1 around 6 p.m.

• See Related: Man Wanted In Somerset Bank Robbery

Bank employees reported that an unknown black man approached a bank teller and handed them a note announcing the robbery as the suspect motioned towards his waistband as if he had a weapon. The suspect fled from the bank on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Detectives from the Franklin Township Police Department, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, the Crime Scene Investigations and Forensics Unit, along with Special Agents from the Franklin Township Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) field office, investigated both robberies.

As a result of the investigation detectives identified the bank robbery suspect as Watson, Robertson said.

Watson was lodged in the Somerset County Jail without bail pending a detention hearing.

The investigation into a string of recent bank robberies throughout Central New Jersey is continuing and additional charges against Watson are pending.

Anyone with information regarding either of the bank robberies is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100, the Franklin Township Police Department at 732-873-5533, FBI Franklin Field Office at 908-231-2800, or via the STOPit app by downloading STOPit to your smart phone at Google Play or the Apple Store and enter the access code “SOMERSETNJ”, or the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888- 577-TIPS (8477) or online at www.888577tips.org or www.scpo.net and click on either “Crime Stoppers” or “TIPS HOTLINE”. All anonymous Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.

(Image via Somerset County Prosecutor's Office: Quintin D. Watson, 50, of Stratford Court, Hillsborough Township)

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