Craziest Event You Never Knew Happened Here In New Jersey

Craziest Event You Never Knew Happened Here In New Jersey

So, this is a bizarre story that Only In Your State recently highlighted in the "New Jersey" edition. It's all about a "would-be" bank robbery that never happened right here in the Garden State. It was almost 20 years ago, and we transported it back to Somerset County in 2008.

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According to this story by Kristen for "Only In Your State,, we arrive in Montgomery Township 17 years in the past. I guess you could say this is a classic case of "mistaken Identity". It involves a would-be bank robbery.

We begin on "November 27, 2008, around 8:40 pm, an alarm went off at the PNC Bank on Routes 518 and 601 in Montgomery Township. Police responded to the scene and saw what they believed to be at least one shadowy suspect through the limited visibility of drawn blinds. The threat was taken seriously when the SWAT teams showed up."

According to Only In Your State, "The police attempted to communicate with the suspect through phone calls and a bullhorn but received no response. SWAT teams were called in and nearby apartment buildings were evacuated. Some reports say the standoff lasted up to three hours."

So what happened? This story had a crazy ending. After not communicating with the alleged robber, it turned out that the police decided to enter the bank, and they discovered ...

SWAT teams discovered a life-sized cardboard cut-out! It was a promotional silhouette that was standing in the lobby. It's still a mystery what set off the bank's alarms, maybe a malfunction? Errant balloons? Maybe a mouse? No one knows.

"The more than 30 officers from three towns who responded must not have been thrilled about this Thanksgiving day "heist." The threat was neutralized and no cardboard cutouts were harmed. This bank robbery just ended up being just another one of those funny things that happened in New Jersey."