I'm sure all of us have daydreamed about stumbling across a life-changing amount of money. Despite the dire warnings of No Country For Old Men about the inevitable, compressed air tank-related consequences of taking what doesn’t belong to you, most of us would, in all honesty, struggle to turn down something so tempting.
Therefore, this makes the actions of one honest Albuquerque teenager all the more extraordinary.
Last Thursday, 19-year-old New Mexico resident José Nuñez Romaniz was honored by the Albuquerque Police Department after discovering a bag filled with $135,000 and handing it over to the authorities.
The department has praised Nuñez Romaniz for his honesty and rewarded him for returning the cash. Josh Brolin should take note.
As reported by CNN, Nuñez Romaniz discovered the cash in a clear plastic bag resting against an ATM. In turns out that the money was left there after a subcontractor mistakenly forgot to fill up the machine. As Nuñez Romaniz went on to explain:
"I didn't know what to do. I was, like, dreaming. I was just in shock. I was looking at myself and just thinking, 'What should I do?'"
Related: Suspect accused of robbing a bank throws money into the air and shouts 'Merry Christmas':He later told local news network KQRE:
"In the back of my head, I was just thinking about my parents, especially my mom.
"What she would do if I came home with the money and what she would do with her chancla (sandal) to hit me. I did the right thing and I know my parents are proud and my family is proud as well."
Despite missing out on a potentially life-changing amount of money, Nuñez Romaniz hasn’t been left totally empty-handed.
As per CNN, at least "three local businesses (have) presented Nuñez with $500 each," while the police chief offered him the chance to secure a position as a public service aide at APD.
It just goes to show that, even in the face of extreme temptation, there’s no substitute for doing the honest thing.
