Delaware man is offering meat for gas money

Mystery man’s ‘meat and greet’ is causing concern

Have you met the ‘meat man?’ Delaware police say they’ve identified the man who’s asking for gas money in exchange for the meat he’s keeping in the back of his SUV. They haven’t found him yet, but they’re looking to meet him.

It was about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday when the man walked into Heart and Home gift shop on Limestone Road and approached a young sales clerk, according to police. The man needed money for gas, he told her, and asked whether she would like to come out to his SUV and get some meat.

“Our concerns were for our young sales associate,” said the store’s comeat owner, Nina Sneeringer.

“We’re in an extremely safe area, but there are a few creeps out there.”

The young lady told the man no, Sneeringer said, and the older sales associate working that night doubled down on that: The answer was no, and she threatened to call security.

“It did not feel right,” Sneeringer said. “Immediately after, she locked the front door.”

A state police spokeswoman said the situation was reported and troopers started to look for the mystery meat man because of his suspicious behavior. She said it was especially troublesome that he claimed to be out of gas but drove away once he was chased off.

Sneeringer is convinced there’s something illegal going on. But 19-yearold Jeffrey Brannock says he’s met the man, too.

“He gave me a couple pork chops,” Brannock said. “Some type of steak, I think it was like a flank steak or something. And then he gave me some sausages,”

Brannock was gassing up at the Royal Farms on Kirkwood Highway about three weeks ago when the same man in photos circulated by state police approached him, he said.

“He just asked me if I could spare any money for gas and made it clear he could give me meat,” Brannock said. “I’m usually not the type of person to buy into that stuff, but he looked like an average guy . ... It was very weird. I was honestly really confused.”

Brannock said there really was no reason for the man to give him any meat.

“I didn’t really need meat, especially from a stranger at a gas station,” Brannock said.

“Meat man.”