NYC woman thanks man who returned her lost bag with $10,000

NEW YORK – A Manhattan woman has expressed her gratitude to a man who recovered her purse, containing $10,000, from a subway platform.

Aiya Tulemaganbetova (EYE’-uh too-leh-mah-gan-beh-TOH’-vah) met with Richard Taverna on Thursday.

He found her Chanel bag, including an envelope filled with $100 bills, on a subway bench near Lincoln Center on Dec. 20. The retired financial consultant took it to police.

She’d filed a police report before heading to Kazakhstan. She was planning to use part of the money to buy Christmas gifts.

When they met, she presented Taverna with a statue, a hug and a donation in his name to a charity.

Taverna says there was “never any question” about doing the right thing.