In Riviera Beach, Florida, a quick bathroom stop turned into a test of character when a man found a fanny pack hanging in a Wawa restroom and walked it straight to police. Only later did he learn the bag was stuffed with $30,000 in cash. Luis Salazar says he unzipped the pack to look for identification, then called authorities when he could not track down the owner himself. After officers matched security footage to a missing-bag report, Salazar returned the cash and watched as the owner broke down in relief.
According to 6abc, Salazar spotted the bag hanging on a railing inside the Wawa bathroom and was stunned to discover how much cash it held when he opened it. “It’s not my money to take. I was not raised that way,” he told the station. Police relied on the store’s security footage to track down the person who had reported the pack missing.
Local station WPBF published police body-cam video that shows Salazar at the Riviera Beach police department and reported that the owner, who asked not to be identified, said he was carrying the cash for a family emergency. WPBF noted that Salazar spent time at the station answering officers’ questions before the handoff. According to the station, the owner responded with tears and a hug when the bag came back.
How It Played Out
Salazar says he first tried to find whoever had just used the restroom, then opened the pack only after that search came up empty and he needed to check for ID. Officers reviewed surveillance footage, matched it to a missing-bag report and arranged the reunion with the owner, according to 6abc. The return left the owner visibly shaken and profoundly grateful…