Hillsborough Man Charged With Two Township Bank Robberies

Authorities say Quintin Watson robbed two banks in the township over the last three months. Photo: Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.

A Hillsborough man remains in the Somerset County Jail, Somerville, facing charges that he robbed two township banks over the last three months.

Quintin D. Watson, 50, was arrested at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3 in the parking lot of an unnamed Hillsborough restaurant in connection with bank robberies that took place in September and November, according to a press release from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.

Authorities said Watson was responsible for the Sept. 3, 2017 robbery of TD Bank on Route 27 and the Nov. 1 robbery of Chase Bank on Elizabeth Avenue.

Watson was charged with two counts of First Degree Robbery.

In both instances, Watson allegedly handed tellers notes announcing the robbery, then fled on foot after being given undisclosed amounts of cash. In the November robbery, police said, Watson allegedly pointed to his waistband, as though he were carrying a weapon.

Witnesses in both incidents described the robber as being a dark-skinned man, about 6’2″ tall, with a muscular build. Authorities also distributed a surveillance photo of the suspect.

The investigation into a string of bank robberies throughout Central New Jersey continues, according to the release, and additional charges against Watson are pending.

The investigation was conducted by 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, according to the release.

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.

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