Man returns purse full of $1 million in jewelry

updated 4:19 p.m. ET March 29, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO - John Suhrhoff found a Louis Vuitton bag on a Sausalito park bench.

Inside, police say, were a 12-carat diamond ring, pearl and emerald jewelry, a Cartier watch and roughly $500 in cash. The contents were worth $1 million.

But the respiratory therapist didn't think of heading to a pawn shop — he took the bag to police Monday afternoon.

The bag is now en route to a Toronto family who had been in northern California for a wedding.

"Every person I know or associate with would have done the same thing," Suhrhoff, 56, said Tuesday. "I'm glad to be able to help."

The Canadian family told the Marin Independent Journal they were sightseeing Sunday in Sausalito, a tourist hub known for its waterfront views of San Francisco.

Very thankful
Shahla Ghannadian briefly left her husband in charge of the purse, which contained jewelry she wore at the wedding.

Ghannadian realized the bag was gone when she returned to her San Francisco hotel. The family went to police and didn't have any luck — and were told chances were slim the bag would be returned.

"You have to be a real man to return that bag," Ghannadian's son Ali told the paper. "Even the bag is expensive. We're really, really thankful to that guy."

Sausalito police said Suhrhoff had thought the bag contained costume jewelry.

It was unclear whether the family offered him a reward.

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