Have you even thought about how much your life would change if you randomly were handed a bag full of cash? You could pay off your student loans or make a nice down payment on a house. That amount of money could change your life, and Jose Nuñez Romaniz was well aware of that.
While this Albuquerque teen was helping his grandpa buy socks, he made a trip to his bank’s ATM. During what was supposed to be a boring trip to Wells Fargo, Jose stumbled across a sight that sent his pulse racing. He had two options in front of him, and either choice would transform his world forever.
Aspiring Crime-Stopper
Jose is an impressive young man. The 19-year-old always dreamt of working in law enforcement as a career — specifically as a crime scene investigator. He attended Central New Mexico Community College and studied criminal justice, but had yet to come across a true cold-case mystery.
A Routine Errand?
He didn’t expect a big clue to emerge while helping his grandpa shop online. They were about to purchase a pack of socks, but Jose wanted to deposit some money in his account first. He ran out to the local ATM. Something on the ground caught his eye.
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Bag of Money
The plastic bag was alone. It had a label on the outside which read “$60,000 in $20 bills.” “When I first saw it, I kind of stared at it for a few seconds, not knowing what to do,” Jose said.
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Alerting Authorities
After realizing that he wasn’t being pranked and recovered from his shock, Jose acted. He saw there was a toll-free Wells Fargo number he could try on the machine, but instead, called 911.
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A Moment Alone
Waiting for the police to arrive, Jose took what he thought was $60,000 and sat in his car, waiting. He did call his mom to tell her what happened. Then there was nothing else to do except wait for the police to arrive. But was he crazy?
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Instantly Rich
Nobody else was around, nor did the bag appear to have any owner’s name on it. The thought crossed Jose’s mind that he could buy just about anything he wanted with that money. All he had to do was drive away.
Family Values
However, thoughts of family convinced him to do the right thing. “My parents always taught me to work for my own. Stolen money would never last you any time,” Jose later explained. He would stay put and help authorities get to the bottom of this matter.
Albuquerque Journal
Big Bucks
Jose didn’t have to wait long. In a few minutes, two cops pulled up and took the bag and Jose’s statement. When the officers counted the cash, it turned out the bag didn’t contain $60,000; it was actually $135,000.
Gabriel D. Espinoza
Finding Answers
They had a lot of questions. Where did this amount of money appear from? Based on The Wire and Breaking Bad, normally a large bag of money on the sidewalk means some kind of drug deal went wrong.
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Big Mistake
Fortunately, this wasn’t the case. The Wells Fargo subcontractor responsible for emptying the ATMs accidentally left the bag of money during a recent refill. We’re not sure of the consequences, but someone probably didn’t get to keep their job after this.
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A City Record
This marked the largest ever amount of money both found and then returned in Albuquerque. Officer Simon Drobik, spokesman for the city’s police, was shocked. “I’ve seen a lot of stuff in 21 years, but this was unique and refreshing for the department and city.” But the story wasn’t over.
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An Unexpected Call
After giving to money to the officers, Jose wasn’t expecting to hear from them again. When he was out helping his parents get supplies for their mattress business, Officer Simon called him.
Olia Nayda
Hailing the Hero
“He asked me how was it to be a hero in the town, and at first I didn’t know what he was referring to,” Jose said. “But then he started telling me about a ceremony to honor me. He wanted me to take my family there and meet the mayor and the chief of police.”
Julie Jensen/Albuquerque Police Department
Fighting Temptation
But the student credited his family for his heroic choice. When Jose was waiting all alone with the money in his car, he said he was never tempted to take any for himself. “In the back of my head, I was just thinking about my parents, especially my mom,” he said.
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His Mom’s Reaction
“What she would do if I came home with the money and what she would do with her chancla to hit me,” Jose continued, laughing. A chancla is a flip-flop, and if you’ve been on the receiving end of one, it can sting.
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Plenty of Admirers
You have to love a humble king. Nearly 50 people attended Jose’s ceremony at the Albuquerque Police Academy, including the mayor, who complimented Jose’s ability to make the ethical choice, even when no one was watching.
Albuquerque Police Department
A Mayoral Salute
“Man, we all know that temptation. Even just to take a little, just one of those bundles off the top. I mean that had to be really hard,” mayor Tim Keller said in his speech. Not a $20 bill was out of place.
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Flood of Appreciation
Besides the mayor and the police, many businesses around Albuquerque also celebrated the altruistic teen. He’s received gift cards, sports equipment, and even season tickets for the University of New Mexico’s football team.
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The Big Pitch
Jose was also gifted a $500 college scholarship from a local electric company. And the Albuquerque Isotopes asked Jose to throw out the first pitch before a game — though it was in an empty stadium due to COVID-19.
Albuquerque Isotopes
Strangers Make Contact
Beyond all the gifts, Jose reported strangers reached out to him on social media — particularly Latino people who expressed their pride in how he represented their communities.