Man Finds $140,000, Turns It In To Cops

Brinks Gives Struggling Landscaper $2,000 Reward, His Mom Says It Should Have Been 10%

(CBS/AP)  It was a tempting sight for struggling landscaper Eli Estrada: a bag filled with $140,000 on a Cerritos street.

There was his credit card debt, upcoming wedding and making ends meet with his artificial grass and landscaping business.

But turning it over to Long Beach police last month was the right thing to do, he said.

The 40-year-old Estrada admits that some days "I think I was nuts," but he adds, "I know in my gut that to keep that money would be wrong."

The Bank of America money bag was lost March 11 by Brinks Armored truck drivers. The unmarked $20 bills were bundled into wads of $20,000 and bound for ATMs.

Long Beach police Sgt. Dina Zapalski said Estrada handed over the money bag to an officer who took a report at one of the landscaper's job sites.

Zapalski said she had never heard of someone turning in so much cash.

"I've had people come to me with purses and wallets with cash in it and they'll turn it in," Zapalski told the Los Angeles Times. "But not like this."

Brinks later gave him a $2,000 reward.

"They should have given him 10 percent," Estrada's mother told the Times.

[fibonacci_]

I say he should have kept it :) .

[jetlizhan]

well bless his heart - how wonderful to read this.

[magoo2u1]

He wouldn''t be a thief if he didn''t steal it. Dentists in NC stole 10 million from state medicaid and none will go to jail, banks stole billions in real estate scams and upset the economy of the EARTH with no jail time.
At this point I doubt I would turn it in. He didn''t steal it, he found it. He did do the right thing but I don''t see the government doing anything about the millions upon millions stolen with government credit cards each year that was meant for homeland security. What do lingerie , steaks from Ruth''s Chris and snow ski''s have to do with airport security?

[tenielsen-2009]

your going to heven,for doing a good deed.God will watch over you
thank you
todd

[excoachken]

Mom is right, $2000 doesn''t even qualify as a cheap tip for a wedding that large! Once again, the rich exploit the poor. With this publicity, don''t expect the next dropped "package" to be "returned to sender," because the address will be UNKNOWN!

[billndonna-2009]

God Bless Mr. Estrada! I''ll bet he''s voting for Senator Obama. Some of us still have faith in the American people. It would be nice to hear from the drivers who lost the money; but, how did they lose it? Seems almost impossible, unless.... no, they wouldn''t :) Anyway, bless you sir, you probably saved the drivers'' jobs? It would be nice to hear more about this from the company.

[missybelle-2009]

Unbelievable. Nobody owes this man a dime, and giving him 10% is ridiculous. I think it was a big thing that Mr. Estrada returned the money, and it was generous of Brinks to give him $2000. Bottom line. His mother is a greedy cow, and nobody is exploiting the poor.

[puzzler125]

Remember, they didn''t HAVE to give him a penny.

[hungry1968]

I''m torn on the subject. Keeping it is wrong, but at the same time I realize that it''s a big business that wouldn''t hesitate for a second, in *** me out of my money.

He also could have kept the money at his house, and waited for someone to claim it, through a newspaper ad, radio ad, etc. If no one claimed it after a year, it''s legally his - free and clear.

Either way, you know the guard(s) lost their jobs, and that sucks.

[hungry1968]

Remember, they didn''''t HAVE to give him a penny.

Posted by Puzzler125 at 09:00 AM : Apr 10, 2008





Remember - neither did he.

[shafteriffic]

He should have taken it home, watched the news for a few days, then he would have found out that the bills were unmarked. He could have kept it all and no one would know.

[kennedy7955]

The reward was certainly no reason for returning the money.

[missybelle-2009]

I just find it so sad that anyone thinks because this business is so big that they owe this man anything. It''s not like they took any money out of his pocket, it didn''t belong to him in the first place. He can live with himself and walk a little taller because he did the right thing.

[piano_man2]

I think Mr. Estrada did the right thing and that is between him and his conscience as it is in any situations such as this. The bank has no obligation to reward him or should they. It''s the same as why should a parent give a child that excels in school a reward. The reward is in the child knowing they excelled and will do well in life as a result. The bank''s money was insured so they could care less whether it was returned or not. So there is no need for a reward.

[antoniof123]

It doesn''t matter if they had to give him anything or not. The company who lost it lost it and it was unmarked bills.

So he could have kept it and used cash to pay for thing making it harder to trace. Of course he did the right thing and if they feel that it is only worth $2,000 I hope they can sleep with themsleves because in the end they will take a hit by their shareholders who will lose trust in them.

Of course they have a great PR team that will make them seem like heros for giving him $2,000. Wow $140,000 lost $2,000 reward makes you wonder doesn''t it.

[quetzal0666]

id have kept every cent of it!!

[blogthis1]

I''m being honest here.... If that money isn''t marked... It''s mine, I''m paying off my bills

[waterandsand]

What are the laws concerning keeping that money. He should of just reported it and see if they can legally take it back since they did lose it in the first place. Gotta be some kindof time frame.

[airport1207]

well,This is better story than what we have heard from IRAQ.

[jackknows]

Some one should slap him upside the head. I am thinking the only reason he turned it in was because he was afraid he would get caught with it. Wel, If I find that much money and God knows i am not that lucky anyway. I am keeping every penny, spending it to pay my bills, feed my children and whatever else I please to do.

[fibonacci_]

Yea, totally should have kept it. He he. Bought himself a Ferrari or something.

[maggg1]

I understand times are tough, but the money WASN''T his. He did the right think in turning it in.

I am appalled by some of the people here, were you raised with no morals whatsoever?

[fibonacci_]

maggg1, I honestly do not see at as totally immoral to keep something you find like money.

[fibonacci_]

If I was a person who just took took took took without giving anything myself, then I could see it being immoral. But I am not like that.

[tonic1661]

Because someone else commits an injustice it does not give that same right to you.

There is always someone who will know that you are as greedy as the rest if you keep the money.

And that is YOU.

If you live like a thief why cry about others. Low lifes keep the money and justify their actions.

[missybelle-2009]

What if I found your wallet, JackKnows, and kept it? Finders keepers, man.

[maggg1]

I understand your point of view fibonacci, I don''t necessarily agree with it. For me, if I would have kept it knowing that it belonged to someone else, whether it be a company or an individual, it would weigh very heavily on me.

[infe5]

maggg1,

Yes the people posting that they (or this guy) have a right to keep the money are appalling. Read some of their posts on other social issues and it becomes no suprise why they would think this way.

Listen up dummies. This money is not a free give away should you find it. If you rip off a bank, by stealing its missing money, you are ripping off every average Joe who has savings or assets tied to that bank. Your delusions of being some modern day Robin Hood are sorely misplaced. God you people are stupid.

[cr34t0r]

he returned it out of fear.
Fear that he will get caught with it, fear that he will not know what to do with that kind of money.for, 140 thousand could ruin somebody''s live(s).
when you don''t know how to make 140 thousand that means you really don''t need it. it is not gonna change anything if you pay your bills today, put your kids through college with that money or buy yourself new car. in the end result you''d end up in the same place you started before finding money.thats knowing that you didn''t become a drug addict or alcoholic.
140k isnt that much money after all. probably be gone in less than a month if he kept it.

[fibonacci_]

If I found someones wallet I would probably return it. But if some company messes up, or some drug dealers deal goes wrong - my moms friend found 10,000 dollars in the bathroom on a plane and kept it - I would keep it. I understand your view point too maggg.

[bobnjersey]

["They should have given him 10 percent," Estrada''s mother told the Times.]

how did his mother get involved? sounds like mom would have kept it.

[joyous88]

hey! This is America;

the cops immediately discovered something to arrest him for

[infe5]

"hey! This is America;

the cops immediately discovered something to arrest him for" - posted by joyous88

Have you ever posted ANYTHING coherent before? They guy wasnt arrested. In fact he was given a very generous award for turning the money in.

[maggg1]

thank you infe5,

I guess the question to post is, when, if ever is it ok to keep money? When do you interally accept it? And if you decide to keep it, do you do any good with it and share with less fortunate people?

[feddupp]

WOW! How GREEDY was MOM??? The REWARD should have been the good feeling for "doing the right thing."
And he got $2K to BOOT--I say "Waytago" BRINKS!

[texanforlogi]

Reading some of the comments posted here, I have learned why American society is the way it is. He was right to return the money.

[fibonacci_]

Should have bought a Ferrari and a nice pair of sunglasses.

[kaviz]

They could of at least given him what they pay their collection agencies.

[jackknows]

missybelle, yes you may keep my money if you find my wallet. Please do not use the credit cards for they will be declined and if you look like me you may use my license I will get another.

[infe5]

"I guess the question to post is, when, if ever is it ok to keep money? When do you interally accept it? And if you decide to keep it, do you do any good with it and share with less fortunate people?" - posted by maggg1

You can keep it when the legal owner says you can. At that point, you can do whatever you want with it. Give to charity, blow it on a dimond encrusted cell-phone, whatever. Once legal ownership is transferred to you, it''s your decision.

[stn_sage]

He was not required to turn it in. He could have kept it. He chose to turn it in for whatever reason.

His mom is correct, though. A standard ''finder''s fee'' is 10%! I would have thought the company would have been so grateful that someone turn the money back in, that they would have gladly paid the standard finder''s fee! Cheapskates! :(

[tanstaafl23]

This is a good, honest man. Obviously his honor and integrity mean more to him than it does do some of the people who have posted comments about him. He is rich in ways that can never be measured in dollars.

[fibonacci_]

I admit he is a nice guy to have returned it - very honest. I just think he should have bought a Ferrari and some nice shades.

[markbrookhar]

Losing the money in the wallet is not a problem, even if it is several hundred dollars. Loosing your drivers licence, credit cards, receipts, club membership cards, important phone contacts on business cards, SSN card, that sort of thing is the problem. If I lose my wallet, please keep whatever cash is in it, and mail the wallet and other contents back to me.

As far as found money. If you can identify who it belongs to, give it back, If it looks like drug money and you keep it, you might end up dead, and if it is company money, it might be tracable and you could end up being charged with theft. It is important to remember that if the man had not given back the money, then perhaps the brinks drivers would have been charged with the shortfall or otherwise in trouble. When accounts don''t balance, someone is held responsible. Not returning the money will affect someone elses life adversely. That makes it wrong to keep the money. Found money is also lost money. Someone is hurt by it.

[pronto9]

Brinks should be taking him by lemo to the bank to deposit his reward check of $10,000 to $15,000. No mention of what happened to the drivers who lost the cash in the first place.

[jackknows]

markbrookhar...now that you have come up with the ONLY reason the money should have been returned I commend you. The compnay would not have suffered one iota, but the man/woman who lost it would have. Congratulations

[stoertz]

Unbelievable how Brinks Armored truck drivers could "lose" a moneybag with $140,000.00 in it. Isn''t this their primary job to keep their eye on the money? Someone should be fired and perhaps jailed over this. What - they were sleeping on some landscaping job and using the moneybag as a pillow? Someone did not lose that bag accidentally.

As for Mr. Estrada, thanks for restoring my confidence in human goodness.

[dsanunnaki]

Saddens me at how stingy people can be. If I lost $140,000 and someone recovered and returned it to me, the reward would be 50%. . . . Period.

[chris34443]

Turned it into cops eh? How many cops can that much money make? Or did the editor mean "turn in to cops..."

[jackknows]

Just a note if anyone finds money in the future. You may deposit $9999.00 in the bank at anytime. But if you deposit $10,000.00 the bank is required to report it to the government.