Homeless Man Returns Diamond Ring Dumped In His Change Cup By Accident

A homeless man who got a diamond ring in his change cup by accident decided against keeping the life-changing money and instead made a big-hearted gesture by tracking down the woman and returning it.

The incident happened in Kansas City, where homeless Billy Ray Harris was begging for change from passersby. One of those people, Sarah Darling, decided to dump in her entire change purse but forgot that she had taken off her diamond engagement ring earlier and put it in the purse.

“My rings were bothering my, so I put them in my purse,” Darling told Kansas City’s KCTV.

She actually didn’t notice until the next day that the ring was gone.

“I was so incredibly upset because, more than just the value of the ring, it had sentimental value,” she said, adding that she went back the next day to seek out the homeless man.

But Harris had noticed the unintended donation, and the homeless man was determined to give the diamond ring back, Yahoo! News noted. He said he knew by the size that it was expensive if it was real, so he kept it safe until she came back.

Harris said:

“She squatted down like you did like right there and says, ‘Do you remember me?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know. I see a lot of faces.’ She says, ‘I might have gave you something very valuable.’ I said, ‘Was it a ring?’ And she says, ‘Yeah.’ And I said, ‘Well, I have it.’ “

The homeless man said keeping the diamond ring was never a question. His grandfather was a reverend and instilled a strong character in him.

It wasn’t the first time Harris decided against keeping a ring so valuable it would have been like winning the lottery. The homeless man recounted an incident years ago at a Chiefs-Raiders game. A retired Raiders player was there with his friends, and after drinking a bit too much jumped into a nearby creek.

The player got out and told everyone that he lost his Super Bowl ring in the creek, but Harris found it later on the pavement. So he went to the Intercontinental Hotel, where he guessed the player was staying, and asked the clerk to help return the ring to its owner. The player paid him back with a hefty reward and a three-night stay at the nearby Rafael Hotel.

Though the homeless man didn’t get the diamond ring, he didn’t leave empty handed. Darling gave him all the bills in her wallet.