Life
Couple finds $5K in diaper bag left on chair then spot a hidden compartment
Once they looked inside it was clear they needed to locate the owner.
Jenny Brown
06.24.21

Most of us have been in the position where we’ve lost our purse or wallet – and it’s an awful feeling. Your heart sinks as you begin scurrying around looking for your item, which contains important things like your license, debit cards, and cash.

If you’re lucky, your search is successful and you vow to not lose sight of your purse or wallet again. But that’s not always the case.

Pixabay/Goumbik
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Pixabay/Goumbik

One young father experienced this terrible feeling after leaving his diaper bag at a Christmas display in Long Beach.

The man, who prefers to remain unnamed, had been visiting a Christmas light display when he left his bag on a chair.

Unsplash/James Baldwin
Source:
Unsplash/James Baldwin

The bag contained not only his wife’s wallet, but also $5,000 in cash.

The man and his family are from Vietnam and were only vacationing in the U.S.

“I thought, ‘How can I get back to my country? How can I pay my tuition? My rent?”‘ he told CBS Los Angeles.

YouTube - CBS Los Angeles
Source:
YouTube - CBS Los Angeles

Fortunately, there were two kind strangers who helped turn the bad situation around.

It turns out a young couple had been visiting the same Christmas display. Gabriel Ruiz and Gabriela Jauregui were taking in the light show when “we turn around [and] there’s a backpack on the seat,” she explained.

YouTube - CBS Los Angeles
Source:
YouTube - CBS Los Angeles

Hoping the owner would return, the couple sat around and waited. When they realized the person wasn’t coming back, they looked in the bag to find some I.D. but didn’t have much luck.

“The names are in Vietnamese and everything and no address on the passports,” said Jauregui.

“We stayed up all night looking for them on Facebook.”

YouTube - CBS Los Angeles
Source:
YouTube - CBS Los Angeles

Meanwhile, by this point, the man had realized he lost the diaper bag and was growing increasingly frantic. He went back to search the area and even posted signs— but he had no luck.

Eventually, the couple made a great discovery. They found a hidden compartment inside the bag.

“There was a bunch of papers with all the information we needed,” said Jauregui. “Phone number, a name, an address.” Happy they had identified the owner, the couple finally went to bed and planned to contact him the next day.

YouTube - CBS Los Angeles
Source:
YouTube - CBS Los Angeles

Upon contacting the man, they made him describe the bag to make sure they had the right person. When all his information checked out, they met to return the items. “[We’re] So happy were able to find you,” the young woman told him.

“All I can say is thank you,” he replied.

YouTube - CBS Los Angeles
Source:
YouTube - CBS Los Angeles

In today’s society, it’s great to hear stories of people living honestly and doing well.

Too often we hear of robberies, violence, and misery, with no mention of the good. This story is a refreshing reminder there’s still compassion and honesty in this world:

“Honestly so great seeing the humanity in people.”

“Honesty is priceless.”

“That’s right. Hearts of gold.”

YouTube - CBS Los Angeles
Source:
YouTube - CBS Los Angeles

Sadly, not everyone would have done the right thing. A person could’ve easily found the bag and kept all the cash – without anyone ever finding out. But in this case, there was a happy ending.

Watch the video below to hear more about this uplifting story!

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