West Deptford Police Announce Arrest in Cornerstone Bank Robbery

In less than 36 hours, and with very little to go on, detectives from the West Deptford Police Department have charged a man in the Friday afternoon robbery of the Cornerstone Bank on Hessian Avenue and Broad Street.


Christopher George Frisby, 32, whose last known address is in Woodbury, was charged with: first-degree armed robbery, third-degree theft of movable property, third-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and making terroristic threats.

Frisby was arrested in Brooklawn at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Gloucester County Superior Court Judge Mary K. White issued a $250,000, full-cash blanket bail for the charges, which he was unable to post.

Frisby is currently lodged in the Salem County Correctional Facility.

Surveillance footage from the scene of the alleged robbery showed Frisby exiting the passenger side of a black, 1994 Nissan Pathfinder, which indicated that he did not drive the vehicle himself.

West Deptford Det. Sgt. Michael Cramer said that police have spoken with a driver of the SUV, but that they have not yet been able to determine whether the man was knowingly involved in the incident.

Cramer and West Deptford Acting Police Chief Samuel DiSimone complimented the work of the township detectives in locating Frisby and working to gather enough information to charge him in such short order.

"Investigator [Jason] Sherman and the other members of the detective bureau did a phenomenal job on this," Cramer said.

"These guys spent countless hours over the weekend, Monday, and Tuesday night away from their families until 11:00, 12:00 every night to do what’s best for the residents of West Deptford," he said.

"These guys go above and beyond what’s expected of them," DiSimone added. "I hope the residents realize the job that these guys do for them."

South Jersey has been hit by a rash of gas station and bank robberies in recent months, many of which have involved firearms.

There's no common thread linking them, Cramer said, except "times are tough and drug use; that seems to be the trend with us."

For businesses that fear being victimized by what appears to be a growing trend in off-highway robberies, police recommend a few general crime prevention strategies.

"They can install video cameras, make sure they don’t have bushes around the doors, and make sure everything’s well lit at night," Cramer said.

If, by chance, a resident finds him or herself in the middle of a robbery, Cramer advises they do "whatever they have to to be safe in that situation."

"They just need to take care of their safety first...and be observant," he said.

Sherman added that if someone witnesses a crime, or what he or she believes may be criminal activity, "don’t hesitate to call the police.

"A lot of times we get information when we go to process the scene and people say, 'I saw something but I didn’t think it was a big deal,'" Sherman said.

As opposed to trying to follow up afterwards, police can prevent more crime that way, he said.

"I wish that people would call us more often and give us information," Sherman said. "That’s what we’re there for."