A Florida man who discovered $30,000 stuffed inside a fanny pack in a Wawa bathroom made the compassionate decision to return the substantial sum to its rightful owner in need.
Discovery at Wawa
Luis Salavar, 58, had just exited the highway around 8:50 a.m. on May 3 to use the restroom at the convenience store in Riviera Beach, approximately one hour north of Miami. He noticed a black fanny pack resting on the bathroom's handicap bar. Inside, he found slightly more than $30,000 in cash, according to a Riviera Beach Police Department report cited by the Washington Post.
Owner's Desperate Need
The money belonged to a 24-year-old man who intended to use the proceeds from selling his Pokémon collectibles to pay for an undisclosed medical procedure for his sister. Salavar, a construction worker, said he searched for the owner throughout the Wawa but could not find him.
Meanwhile, the owner contacted law enforcement, prompting a grand theft investigation into the missing fanny pack. That investigation led police to Salavar, who explained that he had actually been trying to return the money, not steal it.
Salavar's Integrity
Salavar stated, "$30,000 is great, but it's not mine to keep. I like to earn my money." He added that he looked through the fanny pack for identification but found only $50 and $100 bills, leaving him stunned. "My heart just dropped," he told the outlet.
Salavar explained that he did not trust Wawa employees or law enforcement to return the fanny pack to its rightful owner, which is why he attempted to track down the man himself, recalling that he had dark curly hair and distinct beige sandals.
Police Coordination
Police identified Salavar on May 7, four days after the fanny pack was lost. The Riviera Beach police coordinated for him to come to the station and return the cash to the 24-year-old. "This is yours," Salavar told the man. "You're a lifesaver," the owner replied.
The owner verified that all the money was still there at the station, and it was. He gave the cash to his sister a few days after recovering it. Police concluded the incident was a "lost property, not a theft," according to the report.
Gratitude and Humility
The owner has attempted to buy Salavar dinner, which Salavar generously declined. "I just did the right thing," Salavar said. "I don't need to be put on a pedestal." The owner previously said he was "astonished" at Salavar's kindness. "That's life-changing money," he told WPBF. "People would kill for that kind of money."
"I guess maybe there's just more good people in the world than most people think," he added. "You never know who you'll run into, and Luis is just one of those good people."
