On their way to San Francisco for a swanky Valentine's Day dinner, Carlos and Barbara Landeros stopped by the Golden Gate Bridge, where they found a black camera bag, but no owner around.
The couple watched over the bag for a while, hoping the owner would come back soon.
"We wait about 45 minutes before we picked up the bag," Barbara told NBC. "Because we didn't know who it belongs to."
Barbara took a quick peek inside, spotting a camera lens, credit cards and an envelope filled with loads of cash.
"I got nervous at first, it could be drug money," Barbara said. "I was scared."
The couple then brought the bag to San Francisco's Hall of Justice, where they handed it over to the police. The police officer on staff told them "good for you guys" and "I'm proud of you."
The cash, it turns out, totaled $11,060.42. Police used the credit cards inside the bag to trace it to a visiting Chinese tourist in San Francisco.
Mark, the tourist, who didn't want his last name used, was thrilled to have his bag returned. "When the officer give me everything, and he said happy Valentine's Day," said Mark, who would be returning to China the next day.
Mark told NBC that he was carrying the cash for families who were traveling together and he forgot the bag after the family posed for photos on the bridge.
"I think somebody who pick it up and return," Mark told NBC, "it really is someone very, very kind in heart."
Mark tried desperately to reach the family and thank them, even visiting their Vallejo home, before finally getting in touch with them on the phone.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
