Mystery man works hard to return lost cash

BUENA PARK, Calif., June 22 (UPI) -- California police said a man who found $5,000 in a grocery store went out of his way to return the money and ensure it went to the right person.

Police Sgt. Rick Martinez said a 32-year-old Buena Park man left the money, which was in a bank deposit bag, in a shopping cart at a Food 4 Less store in Anaheim June 17 and forgot the bag when he left the store, The Orange County (Calif.) Register reported Tuesday.

Martinez said the man, who asked not to be named, received a phone call a short time later from a man who said he had found the bag. The other man told him he had found his name and address on a deposit slip in the bag and tried to take it to his apartment, but a relative inside said the 32-year-old was not home and the good Samaritan wanted to ensure the money was returned to the right person.

The 32-year-old said he made arrangements to meet the man and the money was returned after he showed a valid ID.

"Nobody knows his name," Martinez said of the mystery Samaritan. "He was only identified as a black man in his 40s."

"From our department's perspective, we'd just like to at least put the word out there to say 'thank you' to him for doing the right thing," Martinez said. "This was a large amount of money and it speaks volumes about his character."