Theft, not roadside jackpot

Like the bluebonnets along Texas highways, money strewn by mistake is not free for the plucking.

Under Texas law, abandoned or lost property does not automatically belong to a finder.

And if it’s found on state property, like a highway roadside, it’s a crime to take it.

This may not have sunk in for the passersby who grabbed up $20 bills like Easter eggs last Friday when an armored truck spilled money along Interstate 20.

One honest man has returned more than $41,000. Thirteen other people have returned about $7,000. They deserve thanks.

If you picked up money, bring it back or face arrest.

Weatherford police say they will examine videos, photos and surveillance footage to identify anyone else picking up money.

The money was strewn along a seven-mile stretch of Interstate 20, so there is more to be brought back.

Honest Texans will step up and return money that isn’t theirs and help identify others taking cash.

This story was originally published April 16, 2015 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Theft, not roadside jackpot."