Young Good Samaritan: Boy Finds $8,000 While Playing In A Park, Searches For Its Rightful Owner And Returns It

Not many people who find $8,000 lying in a park would even think of turning it in.

But a boy who found $8,000 while playing in a Massachusetts neighborhood has returned the money to its rightful owner, and is now being hailed as a hero by his community members.

Aiden Wright, a 7-year-old, found the money on Saturday while playing on a slide at Salem Park, Massachusetts. According to CBS, when Aiden opened a black checkbook he found lying at the top of the slide, he was astonished to find $8,000 inside it. Instead of hiding the money, as most people might be tempted to do, he decided to turn the money in.

“I ran up the slide and at the top I looked at the corner and there was this black check book and I opened it up and I saw $8,000 in it and then I brought it to down my uncle.”

It seems honesty runs in the Wright family. When Danny Wright, the boy’s uncle and a plumber by profession, came to know about the discovery his nephew had made, he told Aiden he was “going to learn an important lesson today.”

And so it turned out to be. The Boston Herald reports that Danny and Aiden both took the money immediately to the police, who later found out that it belonged to Elias Santos, a hard-working contractor who had just been paid.

Lt. Matthew Desmond, who works in the Salem Police Department, confirmed the police called Santos to verify the actual owner of the missing money, according to ABC.

“Officer asked him if he’s missing anything or got robbed and he fished in his pocket immediately and said I am missing $8,000.”

As it turns out, Elias Santos had visited Salem Park earlier that morning immediately after getting paid for a contracting job. He was thrilled to find out that it was a 7-year-old who had turned the money in. Speaking to WBZ-TV (via Fox 59), Santos reiterated his surprise at the way he recouped his money.

“When the police called me I was so surprised. I am so grateful, you know, because we don’t have people like this no more.”

But that was not all. Santos was so pleased by the little boy’s honesty that he decided to award Aiden $100. The boy said that he plans to buy coins using the reward money.

When Aiden’s mother was contacted for a comment, she said she was immensely proud of what her son had done.

“We go to Sunday school and he’s been taught to do the right thing. This shows the lessons had been learned and we are so proud.”

Aiden concurred with his mother, saying he learned the golden rule in Sunday school and knew he had to find the money’s rightful owner. “Treat other people the way you want to be treated,” he added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0CQvc0ZULA

Now, the young boy is being hailed as a hero by his local community members for his good deed. His friends and teachers are proud of the fact that Aiden returned the money as soon as he found it, not even stopping to have second thoughts. Do you think any other kid his age would have done the same thing?

Let us know what you think of Aiden’s act of honesty by commenting below.

[Photos via WBZ-TV]