Police warn of aggressive panhandler

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Police said an aggressive panhandler has gone too far on the University of Texas campus.

The man is accused of getting in to cars and forcing people to drive to ATM machines to take out money for him.

"People will say, 'I don't have any cash,' and he'll say, 'Why don't you go to an ATM,'" said UTPD Sgt. Charles Bonnet. "They're intimidated, and they drive him to an ATM."

Bonnet said the man uses his size -- at 6 feet 2 inches tall and 250 pounds -- to intimidate people into giving him money. Police have been getting reports about the man, all with the same description, all the way back to 2010.

"He's intimidating the students," said Bonnet. "We don't want our students to be in fear."

Students have reported two incidents in the last week and a half, and now officers are stepping up patrols to find the man -- who reportedly uses a variety of excuses when he approaches someone for money.

He claims to have car trouble or to need money for the bus. He usually asks for $5.

"If they feel intimidated and they feel their safety might be at risk, then it's only money," said Bonnet. "That being said, as a general rule we never want to give panhandlers any money. That's just going to encourage them, especially, to come on campus where what we try to do is keep the focus on learning."

One student said a man with a similar description approached her last year.

"He was like, 'Do you have any money?' and stuff, and I don't know if he was really on the phone or he pretended to be on the phone. And that freaked me out a little bit, so I just avoided him. And I walked off," said UT microbiology senior Michelle Faria.

Campus police want any student who sees this man to call police. His basic description is an African-American man who is 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds. He also usually wears a white T-shirt and jeans and has calloused hands.

He typically panhandles during the day when it is busy on campus and usually around the Student Union by Guadalupe Street or North Campus area.

UT police said the man is trespassing and will be arrested if he is caught.