Woman wins $20 million in California scratch-off, becoming only the fourth person to ever win the state's biggest scratch-off prize
A small California liquor store nestled in between a Crusty's Pizza and a nutrition shop was holding onto an item that could potentially change one woman's life forever. California Lottery officials announced that a woman purchased a scratch-off ticket from the store that revealed winnings of $20 million.
The California Lottery said on Wednesday that Mary Higelin bought a Set for Life Millionaire Edition Scratchers ticket from CN Liquor in Norco, California. Her $20 million win is the biggest prize possible in the game and made her just the fourth person in the state lottery's history to win it.
CN Liquor will also get a monetary prize for Higelin's win, earning one-half of 1% of her prize – about $100,000.
The win came as three others scored big in the California lottery.
Salvador Carbajal won $10 million on the California 200x scratch-off, officials said. He bought his winning ticket at a market in Baldwin Park outside of Los Angeles in September. Milton Polanco, the man who sold him the ticket, told the California Lottery that Carbajal had been playing scratch-offs "for a while."
"He was playing different games, switching back and forth," Polanco said, adding that the market also sold another ticket worth $15,000 a few years ago.
Roberto Nunes also won $10 million this week after playing a titanium Black scratch-off that he bought from a liquor store in Sherman Oaks. And the final winner, Nicholas Simpson, won $2 million off an Instant Prize Crossword ticket that he bought from a gas station on Sunset Boulevard. Each of the stores, similar to CN Liquor, will get a prize bonus for selling winning tickets.
Combined, all four winners tallied $42 million in prizes.
Californians have had their fair share of luck in the lottery in the past year.
In November, the record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot that had the nation on the edge of its seat finally got a single winner – a man in southern California. While that person did not come forward with the news of his prize, the owner of the business that sold the ticket did.
Joe Chahayed, the owner of Joe's Service Center in Altadena, received $1 million for selling the ticket and said he would use the money for his five children and to donate to his community. A Syrian immigrant who came to the U.S. with his wife, two kids and just $14,000, said he is the grandfather of 10.
"I'm very surprised. Very excited. Very happy," he said. "...I work hard, seven days a week. I raised my kids, graduated from the college and bought a house and I bought a business all because I work hard and become an honest man."