Humanity was restored for the residents of Chula Vista, California, after one woman misplaced her purse outside of a Ralph’s in June 2022. The green bag would reappear shortly after that on her very own doorstep, having been rescued by a quiet teenager who was raised to “do the right thing.” During a summer of soaring gas prices and protests, that young gentleman proved that you can still count on the kindness of strangers.
The recent Otay Ranch High School graduate had found the purse in a shopping cart. He then proceeded to look for an ID and drive to the house listed on the license. The resident, Melina Marquez, and the purse-owner, Eliana Martin, were shocked by their unconventional delivery boy.
“I looked into the Ring camera, and I was like, ‘Oh my God. He’s such a young kid.'” Marquez recalled. “It was nice of him that he drove all the way to my house to drop it off.” Marquez then felt compelled to reward the teenager somehow. “I was like, ‘We need to find him and just give him a little piece of gratitude.'”
Adrian Rodriquez, in turn, did not think much of his actions. Commenting on his small act of kindness, he said, “If someone found my stuff, I’d want them to bring it back to me.” Rodriquez had left the purse with relatives at the house, thinking that was the end of his little side quest. However, the story and the video of Rodriquez standing on the Marquez’s doorstep soon went viral.
Describing the reaction from his friends, Rodriquez said, “I woke up, and I had a bunch of messages like, ‘Oh, is this you?’ It was weird.” Additionally, Marquez had requested that the teenager returns to her house so that she could properly thank him. Both women were shocked that the purse had been recovered and returned. Martin commented on the unexpected reappearance of her bag, “It was a surprise for me. Honestly? It was a surprise for me.”
The same Chula Vista Facebook community that had first shared the Ring doorbell video showing Rodriquez returning the purse then took to the task of finding the young man. “Thank God, we found him,” Marquez said. Both she and Martin launched an overnight fundraiser, hoping to offer something to Rodriquez in return.
Community members had donated more than $1,115 for the teenager by the time he reappeared on their doorstep. Expressing his gratitude for the money, Rodriquez said, “It feels good. I appreciate it. I really do, everything everybody’s doing.” He continued, thanking his mother for inspiring his actions and shaping him into the young man he is today. “My mom always told me since I was little to always do the right thing when nobody’s around.” When asked what he’d do with the money, the teen mentioned gas money.
Marquez echoed his sentiment, saying, “Every parent right now hopes that their children grow up to be just like this young gentleman.” She also added, touching on how welcome the good news was in these trying times, saying, “This is something that we really need. It’s good news, positive news.” While hopefully, no more purses go missing, there might just be a bright future ahead given there are kind strangers, like Rodriquez, out there.
What would you have done if you had found a lost purse? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family, and Californians!
