Bright Spot: Woman finds $36,000 hidden in Craigslist chair

COLTON, CA (WFSB) - A California woman finds a big surprise hidden in a chair she got for free on Craigslist.

In late April, Vicky Umodu moved into a home in Colton to be closer to her grandchildren.

To fill her empty house, she searched online and found a ‘free section.’ The first thing that came to mid was ‘Oh, gimmick,’ you know. So, I just said let me just call them and see.”

It turns out the man on the other line, who wishes to remain anonymous, was getting rid of things owned by his uncle who recently passed away.

Umodu asked him for the entire living room set. He said, ‘take it.’ “It was very nice of him. I told him I’m really, really grateful.”

A week later on May 18th Umodu began rearranging the furniture. When she picked up the cushion… “I held it this way, and I felt something.”

Inside she found a bag full of envelopes containing $36,000. “And them I’m calling my son. Come come come!”

Within seconds, her son was on the phone with the chair’s former owner. Umodu says she immediately invited the man over to her house to retrieve the envelopes.

When he came into the kitchen, and saw the emptiness of her home, “He gave money [to me.] For us to buy a new fridge.”

Umodu says together with the man, they found the perfect refrigerator for $2,200 and he gave her the cash. “I wasn’t expecting a dime. Honestly speaking, I didn’t expect him to give me anything.”

$36,000 is a lot of money, money Umodu could have kept, and no one would have known, but she says that never even crossed her mind. “I just think it’s just doing the right thing.”

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