Good Samaritan returns $3,000 in found cash

FENTON (WJRT) -- (11/25/09)--A Fenton man has a lot to be thankful for this week after a teenager made a shocking discovery at Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart confirms this was all caught on surveillance video. The retailer won't release it due to company policy. But we tracked the man down who somehow misplaced a lot of money.

Joe, who works at a Fenton gas station, didn't want us to show his face. After all, he's a little embarrassed.

Last Monday, he walked into the Wal-Mart in Fenton. He was shopping for oil and pop. In his back pocket, he says he had stuffed a wad of $3,000 in $50 bills in his wallet.

After using his wallet to pay for the groceries, he walked out. A short time later," he noticed the $3,000 was gone.

"I stuck my hand in pocket. No money there," he said.

The money had somehow fallen out. He called Wal-Mart.

"I told her, 'I lost some money.' She said, 'How much?' I tell her, '$3,000.' She said, 'Oh, my god, $3,000!' I said, 'Yes,'" Jo e said.

The shocked Wal-Mart employees told Joe to call back in an hour. He waited until the next day. But when did call, he got a welcome surprise.

It turns out a 16-year-old girl had found the money and turned it in. Joe was stunned.

"I thought maybe God loved me, too," Jo said.

The gesture drew smiles across the small town.

Joe never met the Good Samaritan. He left her $100 at the Wal-Mart. And he left her a message with us.

"I wish her good luck in her life. Jesus will pay her back for that," he said. "And I hope a lot of people learn from her, too. I learned a little bit, to be more careful."

Joe said he recently returned $1,000 that he was mistakenly given at a local bank. He wonders whether this was some sort of cosmic payback.

Or maybe just great luck.

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