US teen finds $14,000 in a purse and returns it to police

A teenager who found almost $AU14,000 in a purse and handed it in to police can expect some good karma to come his way.

Rhami Zeini, who hails from Santa Barbara, California, has been praised by local authorities after he handed in a lost wallet that contained $AU13,992 ($USD10,000).

The 16-year-old was driving home from school when he spotted a black purse in the middle of the street.

After trying to find a phone number to contact the owner, he drove to the Santa Barbara sheriff’s office where he returned the missing money.

“To me, I figured this is the right thing to do,” Zeini told KCOY-TV.

“If I take it and find whoever's purse it was because if the roles were reversed and I had lost something with a significant sum of money inside, I know I would want it back for sure.”

According to the Santa Barbara County sheriff’s office, the owner of the purse was going for a hike and believed she must have accidentally left the purse on the roof of her car when she drove away.

As a token of her appreciation for the return of her property she gifted the teen $100.

The Santa Barbara police praised Zeini’s good deed on their official Facebook page and Twitter account.

"What a great example of doing the right thing even when no one is watching," the Facebook post reads.

"Thank you Rhami for doing so many things right from observing the purse in the first place, stopping to get it, contacting your parents for help and for turning it in."