Newton teen finds wallet, returns to owner

NEWTON, Mass. (WHDH) -- Forget finders keepers. One local teen found a wallet with nearly $1,000 in it, and decided to do the right thing.

The 16-year-old from Newton saw the wallet on the sidewalk, looked at the license inside to get the woman's address, and then he returned it.

Rafi Razzaque doesn't believe in finders keepers.

“It's not right of me to take it, it's none of my business. I didn't earn that," said Razzaque.

But he took pause when he came across a black wallet on a dark Newton corner Monday evening, filled with cash and gift cards worth $800.

Instead, Razzaque only looked for the address on the driver's license.

“It just didn't cross my mind. I just decided to take it. I saw Crafts Street and said, ‘Okay, that’s my new destination,’” said Razzaque.

Meanwhile, Veronika Friedberg was retracing her steps.

“I got so stressed, my heart was pounding, I was thinking about cancelling all the credit cards,” Friedberg said.

While out shopping, Friedberg had handed the wallet to her baby daughter to calm her down, and then forgot all about it until they made it home.

She expected the worst.

“I lost wallet in Chicago and before I realized it, someone went on a shopping spree,” Friedberg said.

Instead, “I opened my mailbox and there's my wallet. I was so excited,” Friedberg said.

Razzaque had left a note with his contact information. So the next day, Friedberg’s husband tracked him down at Newton North High School with a big thank you gift; an iPod shuffle, iTunes gift cards, and a $100 bill.

“The first thing I asked him was what are you going to do with it? And he said, I’ll give it to my mom, I really don't need that money, I’ll give it to my mom,’” Friedberg’s husband said.

“I'm not a exactly a role model, I’m just an example of what other people are like, so hopefully, when you think of a man like that you have a pretty positive view of humanity,” said Razzaque.

Razzaque credits his mother for his integrity.