Two people in Calif. arrested after grabbing cash that flew out of armored truck

Two people were arrested for grabbing cash that flew out of an armored truck on the highway in California, according to a report from The Associated Press.

Tumult ensued after bags flew out of an armored vehicle on Interstate 5 in Carlsbad that was on its way to San Diego at about 9:15 a.m. The bills that came out of the car were mostly $1 and $20 bills, according to the AP, bringing traffic to a halt. 

The incident sparked a free-for-all in which people were grabbing cash and posting videos on social media.

One Twitter user said it was “the most insane thing I’ve ever seen” as she scooped up dollar bills off the highway.

It was raining money on the San Diego freeway! @DemiBagby was there as cash scattered across I-5 in Carlsbad and shared this video. pic.twitter.com/jKQ5NYAhET

— KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO (@KNX1070) November 19, 2021

California Highway Patrol (CHP) responded and shut down the highway until the scene was cleared at about 11 a.m. on Friday. CHP Sgt. Curtis Martin said that the truck had been headed to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

“One of the doors popped open and bags of cash fell out,” he said, according to the outlet. “One of the bags broke apart, and there was cash all over the lanes.”

The two people arrested were handcuffed at the scene when officers arrived because they had accidentally locked themselves out of their car, according to local news reports.

Martin said that collecting the money was illegal and that the state would investigate anyone who did not return the bills. It is still unclear how much money was lost, but Martin said that the amount in the vehicle was under $1 million according to KPBS.

“There’s a lot of video evidence of people stealing the cash,” Martin said. “We’re going to be following up on every lead that we have.”

California Highway Patrol Sgt. Curtis Martin said taking any of the money is a criminal offense and the large quantity of videos posted to social media will help law enforcement officials prosecute anyone who stole. pic.twitter.com/Wk1zdbrQyv

— KPBS News (@KPBSnews) November 19, 2021

CHP is working with the FBI out of San Diego to investigate.