California Lottery: Busy lottery winner finally takes a break and claims jackpot
The man who called lottery officials last week and told them he was too busy working to collect his $56 million SuperLotto Plus jackpot finally showed up Thursday at the California Lottery's Santa Fe Springs district office, nearly two weeks after his win.
Richard Martinez of Los Angeles, who is single and in his 30s, said he had waited until Thursday to claim his prize "because I had to request and be approved for time off.'
"We are glad the mystery surrounding our $56 million jackpot winner is finally solved,' said Chon Gutierrez, acting director of the California Lottery.
"He has been the subject of much attention after calling in to let us know that he would have to work a double shift instead of coming in to claim his $56 million jackpot,' Gutierrez said.
"He is obviously a hard-working man who now may be able to relax a little more, due to this newfound wealth.'
Martinez said he knew he had won the night of the May 7 draw after stopping into a 7-Eleven to get the winning numbers.
"I was working the graveyard shift at my security guard job,' said Martinez, who also has an administrative job with a government agency.
"When I found out, I was shocked! The first thing I did was to call my mom and dad. They were very happy for me.'
When asked if he still had two jobs, he replied, "No, I quit the security guard position. I think I'm going to need my sleep.'
Martinez, who selected the winning numbers 12, 43, 47, 14, 19 and Mega 19, was obviously on a lucky streak - he also had a $1,000 claim for a Fantasy 5 prize, Lottery officials said.
The retailer where he purchased his winning ticket is the Broadway Food Corner, which Martinez called one of his lucky places to buy tickets.
"Besides that,' he said, "they treat you like family there. They are great people.'
The store owners will get a small windfall themselves - a $280,000 payout for selling the winning ticket.
Lottery officials said it is not all that uncommon for people to continue working, even after winning mega-jackpots. About 1 in five SuperLotto Plus winners have continued working even after winning million-dollar jackpots.