Couple returns credit card lost by mayor's father

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Mike Miyagishima, right, was relieved to hear from James Herrera, who found the credit card Miyagishima had lost while shopping at Save Mart.

LAS CRUCES - The Christmas spirit is still alive and strong in Las Cruces.

James and Sharon Herrera could be the epitome of that - just ask 82-year-old Mike Miyagishima, the father of Mayor Ken Miyagishima.

Miyagishima got an unexpected early Christmas present this week - gifts of honesty and integrity. It left him with a lump in his throat, rather than a lump of coal in his stocking.

Miyagishima misplaced his Discover credit card Monday after shopping and buying a newspaper at the Save Mart on Valley Drive. With increasing incidents of identity theft being reported across the U.S., and an economic recession that has apparently added to more fraudulent credit card use, Miyagishima had reasons to worry.

"I called the credit card company when I couldn't find the card after retracing my steps," Miyagishima said. "I typically don't carry very much cash at all. I use my credit card a lot."

But shortly after calling Discover to report the misplaced card, Miyagishima got a call from the Herreras letting him know they found his card and it was safe. A short time later, Miyagishima went to the Herreras' house and reclaimed the card.

"It truly was an honor to have him come to our house," Sharon Herrera said. "I can understand Mr. Mike's concerns. The same thing happened to me recently. I'm on a fixed income and I know just how much misplacing a card can worry people."

James Herrera was standing behind Miyagishima in the supermarket's check-out line and saw him drop his

credit card near a trash can. Noticing the last name on the card matched that of the mayor's, Herrera called the Mayor's office, at City Hall, and was soon able to get word to the elder Miyagishima his card was safe.

"It might not have worked out as well as it did if some other person had found the card," Ken Miyagishima said.

"But we were both raised to do the right thing," Sharon Herrera said. "My husband was born and raised here, and I've been here for 20 years now. We'd like to think we're treating people the same way we'd want to be treated."

Getting his lost credit card back wasn't the only thing Miyagishima got. Sharon Herrera gave him some fudge and James Herrera gave him a Christmas card.

"I got invited to come back and visit, too," Miyagishima said. "I started to tear up. I didn't know what to say.

"But it made me think, oh gosh, there really are some honest people out there. And, I got another gift, I made some very good friends."

Steve Ramirez can be reached at (575) 541-5452.

Honest

?A misplaced credit card belonging to 82-year-old Mike Miyagishima, father of Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima, was returned to him by James and Sandra Herrera.

?Sandra Herrera was recently a victim of identity theft.

?In addition to getting his credit card back, the Herreras also gave Miyagishima some fudge and a Christmas card.

Source: http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_19615658?source=rss_viewed

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