Teen returns lost bag full of cash to owner after finding it at grocery store – restores faith in younger generation

Eliana Martin was doing a normal day of shopping at Ralphs. As she arrived home from the Chula Vista grocery store, she realized she had left her wallet behind.

Panicked, she immediately did what everyone tells you to do if you lose your wallet; cancel your credit cards. She canceled her cards and remembered she had left her bag in the shopping card she had used while at the store.

But luckily for her, the person who spotted her bag only had honest intentions. Adrian Rodriguez saw the bag and not for a second thought about keeping it.

“My first thought was to give it back. I was debating whether I should take it back to the store or just bring it [to her], and I just brought it,” he said.

He decided on handing the bag over to Martin himself instead of handing it over to the store. He found her address in the contents of her bag and went over to her place.

He rang the doorbell and handed Martin’s bag over to one of her relatives and left.

Martin later recalled feeling surprised at seeing Adrian in the ring video at her door, holding her bag to return it to its rightful owner.Impressed by his honesty, Martin’s friend, Melina Marquez, said, “We should find him, so we can give him a little gratitude.”

Both the women met Rodriguez to thank him in person. Marquez said to him, “As soon as I saw his actions, I was like, ‘I hope my son grows up to be just like him.’ The values his parents were teaching him, I’m just glad he kept that.”Adrian was surprised at their gratitude and revealed that he had not really expected anything in return. He said, “I didn’t expect nothing back, honestly. I just gave back her purse.”

The women are now organizing a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to reward the young man’s good actions. Their goal was to raise $1000 but they managed to raise more than twice as much!

Related Posts

Zubaida’s Miracle Journey: A Burn Survivor’s Transformation and the Compassion That Gave Her Childhood Back

Zubaida was nine years old. She was one of eight children in a nomadic family of ten—eight siblings and two parents—who moved from place to place. The…

How Eggs Can Support a Balanced Vegetarian Lifestyle

For people seeking simple, nourishing foods, eggs often stand out as a practical option—especially within a vegetarian diet. Learning how to build meals that are both convenient…

How a Single Tragedy Sparked a National Call for Reflection and Accountability

When video footage from a federal enforcement operation began circulating, it quickly drew national attention—not just for what it showed, but for the questions it raised. The…

How Melania Trump’s Rare Public Statement Became Part of a National Conversation on Unity and Tension

When national stress intensifies, even brief public remarks can capture widespread attention—and that has been true following the recent fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in…

How a Bold Stage Look Sparked Conversation—and Celebration—at a Las Vegas Show

When a performance clip travels fast online, it’s often because it makes people pause. That’s what happened after a recent Las Vegas show by Shania Twain, where her…

How Paying Attention to Subtle Bladder Changes Can Support Long-Term Health

Many people who later face bladder-related diagnoses say the same thing in hindsight: the earliest signs were easy to dismiss. Doctors often stress that awareness—not alarm—is the…