Police arrest ‘gas can man’ near Houston-area freeway

The "gas can man" is running on empty.

A man dubbed the "gas can man" because of his penchant for aggressively approaching motorists in Houston with an empty gas can and asking for money was arrested Thursday near the Gulf Freeway, the Harris County Precinct 8 Constable's Office said in a Facebook post.

Luz Alfred Garcia was charged with obstructing a roadway, KTRK reported.

"This man is NOT in need of your money and uses his empty gas can as a ruse to con people," the Constable's Office said in its Facebook post.

In a video posted by the Constable's Office, Garcia can be seen walking toward cars, holding up the gas can and pointing at it, KTRK reported.

"If he returns to the area again, like he has in the past, please feel free to reach out to us through this page or by calling our 24 hr dispatch center at 281-488-4040," the Constable's Office posted.

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