Woman forgot $23M lottery ticket in car and claimed it just before deadline

Nov 2, 2012, 2:03 pm (36 comments)

California Lottery

PALMDALE, Calif. — A California woman who didn't know she had a jackpot-winning $23 million lottery ticket in her car has come forward to claim her fortune.

The Palmdale woman's daughter recognized her from a newspaper photo of the supposed winner, captured on the liquor store's surveillance camera.

More details about the woman's identity were to be announced Friday, lottery officials said.

"She just never checked the ticket," lottery spokesman Alex Traverso told the newspaper. "Her daughter took a picture of her photo in the newspaper and sent it to her mother, she went to her car and found the ticket."

Earlier this week, lottery officials had put out a public notice that the winning ticket from the May 28 drawing had not been claimed and was in danger of expiring within the month. They also released a grainy surveillance photo of a woman in a blue shirt and dark pants who was identified as the then-unknown winner.

The ticket had the correct numbers, 14, 7, 26, 31, 23 and Mega 5. If she had not turned in the ticket within the next 25 days, she would have lost the money, and the millions would have gone to California schools.

State officials used video from Michael's Market and Liquor, where the ticket was brought, to bring attention to it and try to identify her.

Store manager Ben Sadi said they have been waiting for the woman to come forward.

"We are glad to see the ticket claimed," Sadi said, adding it was sold three weeks after the store was opened.

"This is a lucky store. We have sold several other tickets with winners of $1,000 or $5,000."

Sadi said the store already has been paid its bonus of one half percent of the prize, or $115,000, for selling the winning ticket.

Since news of the winning ticket got out, business has picked up a lot.

"We are getting people driving 30-40-50 miles to come here and buy a ticket," Sadi said. "All our regular customers keep telling me to sell them the next big ticket."

Sadi said the Palmdale store is one of 23 they operate and the first to sell a ticket worth millions.

Lottery officials said the woman filed her claim on Thursday and it will take up to five weeks to issue her the first check.

A $52 million jackpot winner in Fremont was found in August by a similar public appeal.

"He and his wife saw a picture of him on the news that night and came in the next day to claim the prize," Traverso said.

In the last fiscal year, officials say more than $20.5 million in cash prizes went unclaimed.

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

AP, Lottery Post Staff

Comments

RedStang's avatarRedStang

Guess this answers the previous post on this story. LOL She did'nt have a warrant.

gocart1's avatargocart1

Wow..Thats so great just before the Christmas season....What a great stocking stuffer...lol

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Glad she claimed the ticket congratulations to the winner....

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

would've been funnier if she had fouled up

dr65's avatardr65

AWESOME! Good for her! Sitting in the car since the end of May...wow.

Artist77's avatarArtist77

Quote: Originally posted by dr65 on Nov 2, 2012

AWESOME! Good for her! Sitting in the car since the end of May...wow.

My question...a hypothetical...what if the numbers had faded in the sun and were unreadable or partially unreadable and only the long id type  # was visible. Would this be valid? Granted she was on the video but she still needed the ticket.

 

And I love the story!

sully16's avatarsully16

Congrats , glad she found it in time.

Jack-C's avatarJack-C

By claiming the ticket she denied California schools of $23M.  How selfish of her.

 

Just kiding...no flames please!

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by Jack-C on Nov 2, 2012

By claiming the ticket she denied California schools of $23M.  How selfish of her.

 

Just kiding...no flames please!

I Agree!

She apparently has very little concern for the needy school children, shame on her!  No No

whiteballz's avatarwhiteballz

Quote: Originally posted by Artist77 on Nov 2, 2012

My question...a hypothetical...what if the numbers had faded in the sun and were unreadable or partially unreadable and only the long id type  # was visible. Would this be valid? Granted she was on the video but she still needed the ticket.

 

And I love the story!

yes she would still get the money. This woman tore her winning powerball ticket up and the lottery still gave her the money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32YqQPOphNs

whiteballz's avatarwhiteballz

now when I buy a lottery ticket, I'll be sure to look straight into the surveillance camera and flash them my pearly whites Big Smile

Jack-C's avatarJack-C

Quote: Originally posted by mcginnin56 on Nov 2, 2012

I Agree!

She apparently has very little concern for the needy school children, shame on her!  No No

LOL

HaveABall's avatarHaveABall

Quote: Originally posted by RedStang on Nov 2, 2012

Guess this answers the previous post on this story. LOL She did'nt have a warrant.

LOL, RedStang. Instead, this BIG JACKPOT winner had a somewhat distinctive blouse on during ticket purchase AND and a super observant and loving daughter! 

Enjoy those monies, California gals! Love

Artist77's avatarArtist77

Quote: Originally posted by HaveABall on Nov 2, 2012

LOL, RedStang. Instead, this BIG JACKPOT winner had a somewhat distinctive blouse on during ticket purchase AND and a super observant and loving daughter! 

Enjoy those monies, California gals! Love

Do all lottery retailers have cameras?  Is it a requirement to sell lottery tickets? I have never noticed them when I buy my tickets.

Subscribe to this news story