Fresno Man Rewarded After Returning $125,000 That Fell From Armored Truck
FRESNO (CBS SF/AP) — A Salvation Army worker in Fresno is being rewarded for his decision to return a bag containing $125,000 that fell from an armored truck.
Joe Cornell told The Fresno Bee that he found the cash Tuesday after a Brinks truck pulled away from a red light in Fresno and left the sack behind.
The 52-year-old Cornell is in a Salvation Army substance-abuse rehabilitation program. His duties for the organization include working on donated trailers.
Cornell said he started crying and shaking after finding the money. The recovering meth addict, who only had a dollar for lunch that day, said he decided to report it to police after thinking of his coming grandchild, he wanted them to be proud.
"I just did it because it was the right thing to do. I wasn't sure if anything would come from it. That's not what I was thinking," he said.
Brinks spokesman Ed Cunningham said he isn't sure how the truck lost the money, and called the incident a security issue.
The company will give Cornell a $5,000 reward and make a separate $5,000 donation to the Salvation Army. Cornell and his wife plan on using their share towards paying off their car.
They hope the news coverage about his honesty will lead to a job.
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