WASHINGTON — Maryland State Police said a Baltimore man was arrested Wednesday after trying to scam passing drivers for cash by pretending his Jeep Cherokee was out of gas along a highway ramp in Bowie.
State police said in a news release that Alexandru Dumitru, 32, parked on the shoulder of the ramp from eastbound U.S. Route 50 to U.S. Route 301, where he told people the vehicle was out of gas. A woman and a young child were passengers in the Jeep.
State troopers said that they had “received numerous calls from concerned motorists regarding a male subject impeding the flow of traffic.”
“Troopers identified that Dumitru’s vehicle had a full tank of gasoline and he and his passengers were not stranded,” the news release states.
Dumitru was charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace, according to court records accessed online.
State police warned that there has been an increase in calls in recent months about people flagging down drivers, claiming to be out of gas.
They’re asking drivers to be aware of the scam and to call 911 if they see it happen.
See a report from NBC Washington:
