I recently found a wallet full of banking cards and some car keys. They were lying on the road. I traced the owner through facebook and simply offered to return them in good faith. I was flabbergasted by the response. The owner suspected me of being involved in his mugging. He asked me all sorts of questions. When I simply explained that all I wanted to do was return his wallet, his response was to not believe me and to ask how much I would charge! He even refused to meet me so that I caould hand over his things. I then went to the police to hand in the things, but was met with no interest and no willingness to give me a receipt for handing in the goods. I finally managed to return the wallet/keys to the owner but only after extra effort on my part. A very dismaying experience that is enough to shake your faith in humanity.
There is no Lost & Found office in Quito. In london there is a huge Lost & Found office and you are given a receipt for anything you hand in. You would have thought that the many police points in Quito 'Puntos de seguridad' would at least be able to accept lost goods and provide a simple receipt.
Lost and found
You're not in Kansas anymore 
Kidding aside, I think one experience shouldn't shake's one faith in humanity. If it's any consolation, a friend of mine left her iphone at a restaurant and when we returned it was given back. My wife also left something valuable at a cafe and that too was returned. My point is there are decent people like yourself here. Your experience probably added some drama because it involved a mugging.
That was an unfortunate response to your kindness Russell. Probably had more to do with the nature of the lost belongings. Imagine if you were mugged, and some stranger was now offering to return what you thought was stolen from you. Frome your perspective everything is in good faith, from his perspective there is probably some hesitation as to what your intentions are.
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