Man arrested after demanding $55 in gas, refusing to pay in Orange County

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- A man was arrested after police say he demanded free gas at a station in Orange County.

The Irvine Police Department released body camera footage of their encounter with the man last week. They say he walked into the gas station, demanded $55 in gas and refused to pay.

He then decided to camp out at the station, waiting for free gas that, of course, never arrived.

"I sincerely believe that money as a unit of payment is not real," the man told officers as he sat inside his car.

"Our officers deployed their expert patience and negotiation skills, trying to get the man to leave while navigating a debate over whether money is real," the department said in an Instagram post.

Officers ended up placing him in handcuffs and hauling him off in the back of a police cruiser.