Honest Kaneohe man
returns $14,700 in cash

The discovery came near the
Hawaiian Memorial mortuary

A Good Samaritan gave someone an early Christmas gift this weekend by returning more than $14,000 in cash that he found near Hawaiian Memorial Park Mortuary.

According to park employees, the Kaneohe man walked into the park chapel and said that he had found the bag near the driveway into property at 45-425 Kamehameha Highway.

Printed on the outside of the green bag were the words "Hawaii Central Credit Union."

Inside the bag -- $14,700.

"Oh, my ... wow," said park receptionist Kari Whicker of her reaction on Saturday. "I thought the poor guy who lost the money is probably absolutely frantic.

"I was very grateful that somebody who was honest found it."

Whicker said inside the bag were also receipts and keys. She said she attempted to call the person whose name was on the receipts but could not reach him, so she called police.

"When the officers came they did an official count," she said. "People sometimes pay for funeral services in cash but it's usually checks and credit cards like everything else."

Kailua police said officers located the elderly man who lost the money that day.

When the man was asked yesterday why he had $14,700 in cash in a bag, the man told the Star-Bulletin "that's what I usually have." He refused further comment.

The Kaneohe man who returned the money told the Star-Bulletin, "I turned the bag in to the office and don't want any publicity."