Imagine all the ways you could spend $135,000. You could pay off debts, invest your money, or shop it away.

Now picture your teenage self coming into that kind of money. You could have some really good times (and help pay for college)!

But here’s the real challenge – imagine yourself finding the money one day, just sitting out in the open, not knowing to whom it belonged.

Would you take it?

Maybe it would depend on the circumstances, but if you’re anything like José Nuñez Romaniz, you’d do the right thing and try to get it back to its rightful owner.

Nuñez’s circumstances are unique – he’s a 19-year-old criminal justice student at Central New Mexico Community College hoping to someday work in law enforcement as a crime scene investigator or detective.

The absurd sum of money he found was also in a clear plastic bag next to an ATM outside of the Wells Fargo bank that he was visiting in order to deposit money so he could buy some socks online for his grandfather.

The Albuquerque teen said of his May 3rd discovery:

“When I first saw it, I kind of stared at it for a few seconds, not knowing what to do. I was very shocked. I’ve never seen so much money.”

We’d likely have the same reaction – and it’s in those few seconds that we would all be forced to make a decision that could tell us a lot about who we are.

“It never passed through my mind to keep any of it,” Nuñez said.

Nuñez said there was a tag on the outside that said the bag contained $60,000 and he could see the $20 bills piled inside. (Later, police discovered it contained an additional $75,000 in $50 bills.)

So what did the 19-year-old do? Well, he considered calling the number on the A.T.M., but he was concerned that being near the money any longer than he had to would make it look like he was stealing.

So he called 911.

He also took photos to chronicle the scene and to show the placement of the bag in case it would be helpful in the investigation.

Only then did he take the money for safekeeping into his car so the person behind him could use the A.T.M. – and then he waited for police to arrive.

He also called his mom.

The police arrived within minutes to get the cash and take a statement from Nuñez, but at first, they had assumed it was a prank.

Who leaves a big, clear bag of cash on the sidewalk?

“I’ve seen a lot of stuff in 21 years, but this was unique and refreshing for the department and city,” Officer Simon Drobik, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, said. “I think this is the biggest amount of money found in Albuquerque and returned.”

So where did the money come from? And who did it belong to?

Police say a Wells Fargo contractor who was loading the A.T.M. accidentally left it on the sidewalk. (That’s certainly a story we’d like to know more about, but the bank has declined to give details.)

But Nuñez’s story had yet to come to an end. His ethical behavior was something to be rewarded and the police wanted to thank him for doing the right thing, especially since the teen is so interested in law enforcement. After all, these are the kind of people they need in their ranks!

Office Drobik labeled Nuñez a “hero,” a word he’s far too embarrassed to use himself. But he did attend a ceremony the following wee in his honor at the Albuquerque Police Academy that included the mayor and the chief of police.

“My parents got emotional, my mom mostly,” he said.

We bet! That’s more than enough to make a mom proud! But his parents also expected that kind of behavior from their son – and Nuñez knows he did the right thing by them. He was thinking of his mom throughout the ordeal.

“The family was very humble,” Officer Drobik said. “It was amazing to watch them. There’s a greater good there. They weren’t blown away by Jose’s actions, but everyone else was.”

At the ceremony, Mayor Tim Keller commended Nuñez’s actions and joked about his restraint:

“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.”

Indeed, it certainly could have paid off his schooling!

Nuñez received a plaque, gift cards, sports gear, and even a $500 scholarship from an electric company in addition to the thanks and recognition.

How did the 19-year-old feel about all of this?

“I was more nervous than anything because it was my first time on the news,” he reported.

We love this guy!

And we’re not the only ones. Nuñez has been invited to apply for a position with the local police department (and filled out an application the same week to be a public service aid) and earned many kudos from the Hispanic community for being a wonderful role model.

If you’re wondering what you or your child would do in such a situation, consider checking out this NYTs educational piece that encourages people to do the ethical thought experiment. You might learn some interesting things about yourself.

And be sure to scroll down below to hear more from Nuñez.

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Source: New York Times, KRQE News