2 Years Later, Stolen Purse Found In Storm Drain In Wheaton

WHEATON, IL — A longtime Wheaton public works employee recently helped give new meaning to the old adage,"If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it's yours."

Public Works Maintenance Specialist Rocco Sangiacomo was tending to a storm drain when he found a purse that had been stolen during a residential burglary in Aug. 2019. Sangiacomo, who has worked for the City of Wheaton for 16 years told Patch he has found "some interesting stuff in actual sanitary sewers, but nothing like a purse.”

Sangiacomo used a device with a hook to retrieve the purse, which was mostly intact, albeit,"soaking wet and full of road grime."

The bag had apparently seen better days. “There were worms in the purse," he told Patch.

Miraculously, Sangiacomo discovered the purse owner's still-legible driver's license inside. His first thought, he said, was that "hopefully whoever owned the purse was ok."

Sangiacomo used the address on the driver's license to find the owner, who lived just blocks from where the purse was found. With the newly retrieved item in tow and "still dripping wet," Sangiacomo made his way to the home in a matter of minutes.

Needless to say, the purse's owner was "very surprised" to see him, Sangiacomo said.

"Now she has closure and knows her information isn’t out there," he told Patch.

Police believe the person who stole the purse removed its valuables before stuffing it in the storm drain. The individual had since been taken into custody and charged with residential burglary.

"We applaud Rocco for going above and beyond with his strange sewer discovery and helping bring some closure to the victims of this crime," the City of Wheaton said in a post on social media.

They then used the happy story as an opportunity to remind residents to keep storm drains clear of debris and other items..."including purses."