Armed robber stealing beer caught by facial recognition cams in Atlantic City

⚠️ An Atlantic City man admitted to two armed robberies at the same liquor store weeks apart.

➡️ Prosecutors said surveillance video and facial recognition helped identify the suspect.

🔴 Robert Arroyo must serve 8.5 years before he is eligible for parole.

ATLANTIC CITY — A New Jersey man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after multiple robbery and firearms arrests.

Robert Arroyo, 40, of Atlantic City pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree armed robbery and having a handgun without a permit. Arroyo was sentenced on Tuesday in Superior Court in Atlantic County, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. He must serve 8.5 years in state prison before being eligible for parole.

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Ventnor police first arrested Arroyo on Feb. 9, 2025, according to prosecutors. Officers went to a home for a reported disturbance. While they were there, Arroyo told police that he grabbed his black handgun from the home because of the family dispute. However, Arroyo didn't have a permit to have the gun.

Two months later, on April 4, a man with a handgun held up Pat’s Liquor Store in Atlantic City. An employee told police that the suspect grabbed a six-pack of beer from the cooler and put it on the counter. The man then said he needed to grab money from his car, and came back with a gun. He made off with around $1,000 in cash.

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Surveillance video and facial recognition led police to suspect

Surveillance cameras caught the armed robbery on tape, including the suspect's face. Investigators used facial recognition to identify Arroyo as the robber; however, they couldn't find him for weeks.

Then, on April 26, police were called to the same store on Atlantic Avenue. The Pat's Liquor Store employee said that a man grabbed a beer and then took out a black handgun as he walked up to the register. The robber demanded cash from the safe and both cash registers.

Arroyo was again identified as the suspect. He was arrested on April 29, 2025.

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