Money rains down in Vernon Hills

Somebody made it rain in Vernon Hills — although the paper storm didn’t involve any act of weather, and it definitely didn’t happen in a nightclub.

Money — hundreds of dollars — floated through the air near the intersection of Route 45 and Port Clinton Road early Monday morning.

Several motorists pulled over and chased the cash down the road around 5:30 a.m., one witness reported to Vernon Hills police.

Officers who responded to the call recovered $312 in various denominations.

Police don’t believe the money was stolen or counterfeit. Instead, they think maybe a motorist set a bank envelope onto of a vehicle and then drove away.

“You would think if somebody lost that kind of amount that they would have reported,” said Vernon Hills Sgt. Greg Slivka. “It’s possible that they’ve reported it elsewhere, and we’re just not aware yet.”

An anonymous person reported the floating money to police, but nobody has come forward to turn in any found cash.

Police plan to hold on to the money for 180 days, and they encourage anyone who recovered money to return it. If the owner doesn’t claim it, it would be returned to the finder, Slivka said.

“It does occasionally happen — you hear of a Brinks truck that forgets to secure a door or someone sets it on a roof and forgets to grab it,” he said. “This is something I’ve never seen.”

Anyone with any information can contact the Vernon Hills police at (847) 362-4449.