I stopped my car after spotting bundles of cash in the road – it was a ‘sea of bills’ but I didn’t get to keep a cent
THE discovery of cash on a busy road led to two people being arrested after authorities said the drivers were caught trying to scoop up the money as it blew away.
The California Highway Patrol was alerted to reports of money on Interstate 5 in Carlsbad, about 40 minutes north of San Diego in November 2021, causing heavy traffic.
CHP Sergeant Curtis Martin said the doors of an armored truck opened while on the interstate, sending the money flying into the road.
Other drivers kept getting out of their cars, which stopped traffic.
Martin said that the armored truck driver stopped to pick up the money but then noticed other drivers trying to take the cash.
"If you found money on the freeway, it is not your money," Martin said in a press conference at the time.
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"It belongs to the FDIC - Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - and this armored truck and the bank. It needs to be returned."
A man and a woman were arrested for allegedly taking the money, said a spokesperson for the CHP.
The spokesperson added that the pair got locked outside their car, which blocked traffic on the freeway.
At the time, Martin urged anyone who picked up the money to return it to the CHP office in Vista.
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He added that he couldn't guarantee punishment for returned money would be avoided.
Within 48 hours, some people had already returned the cash.
"The CHP would like to thank those motorists who have already returned money to their local CHP office," the agency said in a press release at the time.
"And remind the public to do the right thing and return any money they found on the freeway."
Travis Fisher said he saw a bunch of people scooping up money and thought the entire incident was an accident.
"There was a bunch of cars in front of me that all stopped, came to a complete stop," he told Fox affiliate KUSI-TV.
Fisher said he was surrounded by trucks and couldn't see in front of him but saw some of the truckers getting out of their vehicles and "running between the lanes of traffic."
At first, he thought they were trying to help someone who got hurt but then "more people started getting out."
Rules on finding money
The saying "finders, keepers
While state and local laws may differ slightly, the majority will require you to attempt to find the owner of the money.
If you fail to make reasonable efforts to track down the owner, many states can charge you with theft or larceny of lost property.
The penalty will most likely be based on the value of the lost property as larger finds that are kept without making reasonable efforts to find the owner may be classed as a felony rather than a misdemeanor.
The term reasonable efforts includes asking people nearby if they dropped any cash, checking the envelope or wallet (if there is one) for an ID, handing it into a nearby store, or contacting the police on a non-emergency line.
Some laws will authorize the police to return the money to the finder if no one has claimed it after a period of time.
Always check your local and state laws which will most likely outline what to do if you find property or cash.
It is also advised that you contact the police or a criminal defense lawyer who can assist in what the laws state and how you should proceed.
Source: Criminal Defense Lawyer
"I see all these things floating around and I realize it’s money," said Fisher.
"It was pretty crazy. Just everywhere, there was a sea of bills, everywhere."
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He estimated that there were thousands of dollars on the road.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to the California Highway Patrol for comment.