SAN ANTONIO — A northwest side ATM giving out free money, in error? Or did somebody actually leave it behind?
Many of us use ATMs on a regular basis, but what if you walked up to one of these money machines and you found a wad of cash sticking out of the cash dispenser. Would you turn it in or would you keep the money and run?
Roman Alvarado was at a Walmart on Bandera Road Saturday to get a pedicure. But on his way to the restroom, he discovered something a little creepy. Alvarado told us, "I passed by an ATM machine right by the Woodforest Bank at Walmart and I found money in the ATM machine dispenser. It was just there for somebody to grab."
Not just $20, $100, or even $200. Alvarado, a lay minister at his local church, said, "I counted it and I couldn't believe it. There were $360 in it."
A Halloween fan, Alvarado thought this couldn't be a treat, but possibly a trick. He told us, "There were cameras everywhere. I was thinking could this be a setup or something because the holidays are coming "
Did he keep the money? No way Jose! He gave it to the bank without a second thought. He said, "I said no, no, no. It's got to be somebody's rent, their light bill, somebody's hospital bill, something."
His time with the church taught him well. He knew he couldn't rest in peace unless he did the right thing. Alvarado added, "In God's world, in God's name, he tells you if it is not yours don't take it."
We reached out to the bank but have yet to hear back about how the money came to be. But what would you do if you were in his shoes? Would you keep the cash? We ran a Twitter poll and 42 percent of you said you would keep the dough. 58 percent would do what Alvarado did.