Stolen wallet found after 27 years

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-07-09 14:13

A New York woman's wallet has been returned to her after it was stolen by a pickpocket 27 years ago.

The wallet, which was found in a hollow tree, contained Ruth Bendik's driver's licence and bank cards, though $20 (£12) was missing, CNN reports.

The discovery was made by tree-care supervisor Josh Galiley, who was chopping down the dead black cherry tree near Rumsey Playfield in Central Park.

Galiley said: "When you're cutting a tree and it's hollow, you expect stuff inside, shreds of material, old marbles, really just knickknacks compared to this. Nothing with a story.

"We peeked in and there were dates from the early '80s. We figured this was different."

Bendik said: "The lengths they went to find me, the extent that they went through and the fact that they were concerned about my feelings really impressed me.

"After all these years it's still available as a time capsule of my life."