An armored truck spewed cash all over a San Diego freeway this week after one of its doors burst open, and now the FBI and the California Highway Patrol are looking for those who ran off with the money.
'If anyone picked up cash, we ask you to bring it to the office in Vista immediately,' a CHP spokesperson told Fox 5. 'I just want to give everyone a head's up that there is a lot of video evidence.'
They are giving people 48 hours to return the money or face 'potential criminal charges.' Two people have already been arrested, officials said.
Drivers stopped what they were doing Monday and scrambled to pick up 'free' money on the northbound side of Interstate 5 near Carlsbad, California.
The trunk was on its way to the Federal Reserve to make the deposit when the back doors burst open around 10 a.m., authorities said.
The FBI and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) are now looking for people who took the money, after already arresting two people who got locked out of their car during the frenzy. It is unknown how much money came out of the trunk, nor how much is still missing.
Fitness guru Demi Bagby, from San Diego, was identified as one of the persons of interest after she posted a video to her Instagram account showing her and her friends picking up money.
'This is the most insane thing I've ever seen, someone dropped money all over the freeway and San Diego has shut down, literally it has shut down. Look at the freeway right now, oh my gosh,' Bagby says in a video she posted for her 2.5 million followers.
'Literally everyone stopped on the freeway to get money off the freeway. This is insane,' she says.
Several drivers on Interstate 5 got lucky on Monday after an armored truck spewed money over the freeway - but authorities are looking for them to return the cash
Fitness guru Demi Bagby (pictured) posted a video on Instagram of her and her friends collecting money on the freeway
Unidentified people were seen looking excited with handfuls of cash
The video also showed others with huge stacks of cash in their hands, as well as two other women who were seen picking up cash. The FBI released screenshots of Bagby's video and are wanting to talk to those featured in it.
Another driver even covered up their license plate with what appears to be a white towel to avoid being identified.
As Bagby and her friends drove past the armored trunk, it appeared that its drivers had left the scene. The drivers of the truck were seen earlier talking to the police.
Another driver, Travis Fisher, told Fox 5 that he thought there was an accident before noticing the money.
'I see all these things floating around and I realize it’s money,' Fisher told Fox 5. 'It was pretty crazy. Just everywhere, there was a sea of bills, everywhere.'
Police were seen talking to the truck drivers
The money flew out of the trunk after the back door flew open. The FBI and CHP are investigating as to why the door opened
Police collected fallen money in garbage bags and are now asking those who took cash to return it to the Vista office within 48 hours or face 'potential criminal charges'
By the time Bagby left the scene, the truck driver was gone
Fisher estimated there were thousands of dollars scattered across the roadway.
CHP and the FBI are now calling on those who took the money to return it, as it's a crime to steal government property.
Police collected the fallen money in garbage bags but even after they cleared the scene, some stragglers still stayed behind in search for more.
Lawyer Greg Wiseman told Fox 5 that the 'finder's keepers' attitude won't get them very far.
'People get the wrong idea, they think "finder's keepers," they think "possession is nine-tenths of a law," but that's not the law,' he said.
He said the 'negligent' act does not 'create a windfall where people just get to say "right place, right time" and keep the money.'
Several people stayed behind to look for more money
The FBI are looking now looking for Bagby and her friends, as well as these women (pictured)
The police says there's 'a lot of video evidence' showing people picking up money, and encourage them to return it
Many commenters slammed Bagby and her friends for filming themselves and other people, with one stating: 'This video will have you in court lmaoooo [sic] they track these people down.'
Another also warned the fitness guru not to 'brag' about her gold mine: 'I wouldn't of bragged on camera about taking money if I were those people.'
The influencer herself even commented: 'Who's coming to sizzler with us tonight?' Sizzler is a restaurant chain that was founded in California.
Other commenters focused on the driver of the vehicle, writing: 'Someone's getting fired.'
Many commenters slammed Bagby for posting the video (which is still up on her page) and that it could get her in serious trouble. Bagby herself joked she was going to spend the money at Sizzler, a restaurant chain that was founded in California. Others wished it was them
While others just wished it was them, one even asked for someone to come to the East Coast and 'drop some bills.'
'Damn someone come to the east coast and drop some bills for us!'
Another wrote: 'The only time you wish you were stuck on the freeway! send us all some.'
It is unknown if Bagby and her friends are still in possession of the money.
Stealing government property can lead to a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine.
The FBI and CHP are investigating.
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