A 32-year-old man from Baltimore was arrested Wednesday afternoon and charged with disorderly conduct and disrupting the peace after police said he was trying to scam passing drivers for cash.
Police said Alexandru Dumitru parked his Jeep on the shoulder of eastbound Route 50 to southbound Route 301 in Bowie. Dumitru was stopping drivers, saying he had run out of gas and asking for money, police said. He was with a woman and child.
Troopers discovered the Jeep had a full tank of gas and he was not stranded. State police said they identified Dumitru by an international ID card.
Online court records did not list his attorney.
State police said they received calls for similar scams in recent months and urged drivers to be wary of people soliciting money for gas or repairs.