Woman Finds $15,000 in Ziploc Bag in Gas Station—Here is What She Did Next

It was the worst of times, it was the best of times for a Michigan woman who was walking to work after her car broke down; along the way, she found nearly $15,000 in a Ziploc bag. Dianne Gordon, 65, has been walking to work 2.7 miles a day, five days a week after the green Jeep Liberty quit on her and she couldn't afford to fix or replace it. It takes about an hour for Gordon to walk to a grocery store, where she slices meat behind a deli counter. "I didn't have a choice. I had to have a positive attitude," Gordon told the Washington Post on Tuesday. Then came her discovery. Read on to find out where Gordon spotted the money and what's happened since she found it.

A Potential Windfall at Her Feet

On Jan. 21, Gordon was walking home around 5:30 p.m. when she got hungry and decided to stop at a gas station to grab a snack. As she opened the store's door, she saw a bag. "I happened to look down, and there was a bag of money," Gordon said. "I picked it up, and there were some papers that went with it, and I turned it over, and there was even more money."

"I Knew What I Needed to Do"

Despite her urgent financial need, Gordon refused to even open the bag. "I just looked at it, and I knew it wasn't mine," Gordon said. "I knew what I needed to do." She went into the gas station with the bag of cash—ultimately, it was found to be $14,780—and called the police. 

"This Doesn't Happen Very Often"

A police officer responded to the gas station soon after she called and took possession of the bag, the Post reported. Within two hours, an officer called Gordon to tell her they'd found the people who lost the money: A young couple who'd gotten married earlier that day.

"There were wedding cards with a name on it, and we were able to get the money back to them," said Police Chief Dan Keller of the White Lake Township Police Department, who said the newlyweds were highly grateful for Gordon's act. "She didn't hesitate, she didn't question it," said Keller. "This doesn't happen very often, that someone finds a large sum of money and turns it in."

"I Didn't Do Anything Special"

Gordon said her decision was a no-brainer. "If it doesn't belong to you, you don't keep it," she said. "I didn't do anything special. All I did was return something that didn't belong to me." When the wife of the officer who responded to Gordon's call heard about her situation, she was touched and wanted to see her getting a reward. "As a police officer's wife, I typically hear the bad things, so this was obviously heartwarming," Stacy Connell told the Post. "I was hoping we could help her get a car, since she could have walked into any dealership and used that money."

GoFundMe Goes Viral

Connell established a GoFundMe page for Gordon. In less than one week, more than $60,000 has been donated from people around the world. Gordon said she was stunned by the outpouring of generosity. "I never expected anything like this," she said. "I am overwhelmed. I was just doing what I was taught to do." With the funds, Gordon was able to purchase a new car on Feb. 3: A green Jeep Compass. "I absolutely love it," she said. "It's got a steering wheel warmer and a back-up camera; all things I've never had before." She plans to use the rest of the money for insurance, an extended warranty and home repairs.