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Woman spotted strange man on surveillance camera leaving a wallet on her front porch—she broke down when she held it

The mom was worried to see the stranger on her doorstep, but when she saw him closely, she was taken aback.
PUBLISHED MAR 27, 2025
(L) Donnie Hanson shows up at the doorstep with wallet. (R) Michelle Johnson gets emotional after seeing the wallet. (Cover Image Source: YouTube | WXYZ-TV Detroit | Channel 7)
(L) Donnie Hanson shows up at the doorstep with wallet. (R) Michelle Johnson gets emotional after seeing the wallet. (Cover Image Source: YouTube | WXYZ-TV Detroit | Channel 7)

What would you do if you saw a random stranger hanging out by your doorstep? The first thoughts would be confusing and scary. You’d wonder what caused the man to show up unannounced, and your first response is to act cautiously. A woman named Michelle Johnson faced a similar experience, per WXYZ TV. She spotted a man, Donnie Hanson, standing outside her door through the door camera. However, when she learned why he actually visited her, she was moved with gratitude. The 26-year-old Hanson is seen knocking at the door and waiting for a response in the footage. However, when he realized no one was home, he decided to leave.

Man knocking on door. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Ana Benet)
Man knocking on door. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Ana Benet)

Before he could leave, he showed a wallet to the camera, and it all made sense. The wallet belonged to Johnson’s 25-year-old son, and when Hanson came across it, he made his way to their home to return it. The mom noted that there was hard-earned cash and tips, amounting to $100, that her son had made. "He works down at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and made tips on Sunday, I believe it was and that was all of the tips he had made," she said. The mom explained that the wallet may have fallen when her son was making a trip to his friend’s house after filling up gas in the car.

Man holding wallet and pondering. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Hải Nguyễn)
Man holding wallet and pondering. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Hải Nguyễn)

There were also other important items like his ID and Hanson, ever so thoughtfully, made the effort to find the address and return the wallet. As the camera captured him waiting patiently around the door and near the camera, his subtle expressions revealed his pure intentions. "I was on 17th Street, saw it in the middle of the road and all I was thinking was, 'Oh, someone had a great St. Patrick's Day; I can’t believe this was just lying in the middle of the road.’ I just found the ID and I was like, you know what, yup, gotta get this back,” Hanson remarked.

Elderly woman smiling gratefully. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Milhail Nilov)
Elderly woman smiling gratefully. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Milhail Nilov)

When no one answered, he left the wallet behind some decor so the family would find it. Hanson noted that he had the unfortunate experience of having lost his wallet. To his fate, he never found his belongings nor did anyone return them. So when he came across the 25-year-old’s wallet, he knew what he had to do. Johnson was moved by the kindness and goodness. She pointed out that this gesture was “taken to the heart” by the family. "I almost cried; I know that sounds silly, but it was nice. It makes you feel good and it makes people, our family included, we just want to pay it forward,” she said.

Image Source: YouTube| @michiganrocksnobs
Image Source: YouTube| @michiganrocksnobs

Image Source: YouTube| @RacieRain
Image Source: YouTube| @RacieRain

It was also added that the community is delighted to learn that there still is goodness to be found and Hanson’s act serves as a hopeful inspiration to many. “You might not realize what something small does for someone else, but even the smallest act of kindness goes a long way," Johnson said. @akingwithwords2144 said, “Returning a lost wallet full of cash is not a small gesture, that’s huge! Respect!” @daylehere added, “Thank you, Donnie Hanson, for demonstrating how we should all behave.”



 

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