The owner of a local town staple is extremely grateful for the actions of two honest persons that found and returned a personal folder that contained a large amount of cash for his business bank deposit.

Anthony Borges, owner of Sno-white Drive In on North Yosemite Avenue, said that on Feb. 24 he had placed a zippered folder that contained his bank deposit and a number of personal papers on his car after he had closed the business that night. Forgetting the bag on the car’s roof, Borges drove to his Oakdale home and realized what he had done when he discovered the folder wasn’t in his car.

“I was going nuts,” Borges said, disclosing the cash amount that was inside. “I backtracked the whole way hoping to find it.”

During his hunt Borges received a telephone call from Daryl Daniel, owner of the Riverbank Sno-white, stating someone had called his establishment about the found folder and left a telephone number.

“I was able to get a hold of them and they came down and delivered the entire thing,” Borges said, stating that the cash appeared “untouched.”

Borges said that the couple, Will Taylor and Ericka Webber, told him the folder slid off the roof and hit their van when he made a turn.

“I asked them, ‘What do I owe you’ and he (Taylor) just said ‘Friends for life’,” Borges said.

Borges said that due to the amount of the deposit he still wanted to give them a reward and insisted on a sum which amounted to 10 percent of the money.

“They deserve something,” Borges said. “They could have rationalized and kept it and said nothing – it was a lot of money.”

When contacted about the incident, Taylor was very modest and humble about his actions.

“Nothing else crossed my mind other than to return it,” Taylor said. “I’m surprised people would even think to keep it.”

Taylor said the owner was easy to track down because of a couple checks made out to Sno-white Drive In.

“I’m sure he works hard for his money, I work hard for mine,” Taylor said, pointing to his performances in the local band, Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit. “That’s his livelihood.”

Borges said it was amazing that the deposit was returned and speaks loudly for the character of people of Oakdale and why he chose to own a business here.

“We need a lot more people like William and Ericka in this life,” Borges said. “Words cannot thank them enough for their honesty and their loyalty.”

Since the date of the returned money, Taylor said he’s met with Borges at the drive-in and Webber brought him a pie from where she works at Bloomingcamp Ranch. In exchange, Borges provided burgers and fries.

“It was the start of a friendship,” Taylor said.