Dashcam footage from Huber Heights, Ohio, shows a suspect emerging from a garbage can moments before being taken into custody, according to local authorities, as reported by The New York Post.
The incident unfolded on Monday when a sanitation worker attempted to empty a trash bin into a garbage truck. As the worker moved to dump the container, a man suddenly popped his head out of the plastic bin, startling the employee, video shows.
Authorities said the suspect had been attempting to avoid police after fleeing an earlier traffic stop in the area. Officers had been searching for the man when the unusual discovery occurred.
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Huber Heights Police later addressed the incident in a statement, referencing the nickname given to the suspect.
“As luck would have it, ‘Oscar the Grouch’ — as we’ve nicknamed our suspect — appeared at just the right place and the right time,” Huber Heights Police said following the arrest.
The department said officers happened to pull up behind the sanitation truck just as the worker realized someone was inside the bin. Dashcam footage captures the sanitation employee stepping back quickly before alerting police to the situation.
Video shows the suspect jumping out of the trash can and attempting to flee on foot. Officers responded immediately.
NEW: Garbage collector finds a wanted suspect in a trash can moments before he tossed the trash in the garbage truck.
The suspect, who now has the nickname 'Oscar the Grouch,' was pulled over by a Huber Heights, Ohio, police officer during a traffic stop. When the vehicle… pic.twitter.com/GGKEM1My9X — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 24, 2026
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“Thanks to the impressive athletic ability and swift response of our very own Officer Perez, the suspect was safely apprehended,” police said.
According to the department, the man was taken into custody without any injuries.
“The suspect was taken into custody without injury to anyone involved,” the statement said.
Police have not publicly identified the suspect. Details about the initial traffic stop that led to the pursuit have not been released.
The incident drew attention after the dashcam footage circulated online, showing the unexpected moment when the man emerged from the container.
The nickname “Oscar the Grouch,” a reference to the well-known fictional character who lives in a trash can, was used by police in their public statement.
Authorities have not disclosed what charges the suspect may face.
The sanitation worker involved in the incident was not harmed, and the arrest concluded without further incident, according to police.
The footage, which shows officers arriving behind the garbage truck and responding as the suspect fled the bin, has since been widely shared.
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