Cash spilled all over Route 3 — But cops say you can give it back

EAST RUTHERFORD — People that grabbed coins and cash off Route 3 after the door of a Brinks truck opened should return the cash, according to police.

East Rutherford police reported calls at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday morning that an armored truck was spilling cash along Route 3 westbound near MetLife Stadium. Motorists ditched their vehicles and running around grabbing the money which caused multiple crashes.

"We would like to advise people if they have any money connected to this incident to contact ERPD at 201-438-0165 to make arrangements for its return with no charges filed," East Rutherford police posted on their Twitter account.

But what if you decide to keep the cash?

An individual would be likely be charged with theft but it depends on how much they took, according to former Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi said. And that could be hard for prosecutors to prove, he said.

Criminal theft offenses are all graded by the amount of money and unless someone confesses it would likely be a municipal offense, Bianchi said.

East Rutherford Police Department told NorthJersey.com that as of late Thursday afternoon four people had turned in $7,000.

East Rutherford Police Capt. Phil Taormina told the news outlet that the money belonged to Brinks while it was transporting it. He said police are looking at video and photo of of those who stopped to scoop up the cash to identify cars and people who stopped as part of their investigation.

Police say it looked as if there was an issue with truck's door lock that caused it open.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ