Two employees of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York are receiving praise for their efforts to reunite a traveler with a lost bag that contained $30,000 in cash.
Assistant Conductor Christopher Nocito stumbled upon the abandoned bag while onboard a Long Island Rail Road train headed to Ronkonkoma.
MTA workers quickly realized that the bag contained a significant amount of cash.
Nocito, in an interview with WABC-TV, mentioned that he had been informed of approximately $30,000 being present in the package. However, he did not personally verify this amount.
Detective Kristin Riker from the MTA Police embarked on the mission of locating the owner of the bag.
Riker recounted his efforts to locate the owner of the bag, stating, “I searched through the bag, hoping to find a receipt or some form of identification. Fortunately, I discovered a planner inside, which revealed that the person had an upcoming car inspection appointment. With this lead in hand, I reached out to the mechanic, sharing a picture of the individual and requesting assistance in identifying them. This action initiated the process of connecting with the lost and found department and ultimately getting in touch with the bag’s rightful owner, ensuring that they could reclaim their belongings.”
The owner was fortunate to have their bag and its valuable contents returned to them.
Last year, there was a highly-publicized incident involving Juliet Barton, who lost a bag containing $12,000 during her commute on LIRR trains from Babylon to Rockville.
MTA workers diligently searched through the bags in the lost and found area until they successfully located Barton’s bag, which still contained the cash.