A would-be robber first asked a man in Little Rock for money or work before showing a gun and demanding cash, authorities said.
It happened shortly after 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 2300 block of South Gaines Street.
According to a Little Rock Police Department report, the 27-year-old victim was working in the area when the man approached him and asked for work or money "because he was trying to get home to his daughter."
The victim told the man he didn't have anything, the report said, and the man then lifted his shirt to reveal a handgun and said: "The best thing you can do is give me your money."
The victim ran to his truck and drove off without giving the man anything.
Police searched the area but did not make an arrest.
The would-be robber is described as a 6-foot-tall black man who weighs about 180 pounds and has green eyes and short, curly black hair. He was wearing a tan shirt with a pocket and blue jean shorts, according to police.