Woman who won $23 million lottery forgot ticket in car
PALMDALE, Calif. (AP) - 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, according to the San Bernardino County Sun ().
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."
The woman bought the ticket in May, and with 180 days to claim the prize, she only had until Nov. 26 to cash in.
If it hadn't been claimed, the millions would have gone to California schools.
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.
The winning ticket was sold at Michael's Market and Liquor, where store manager Ben Sadi says the sale has been a stroke of good luck for the store's owners. The store received a bonus of one half percent of the prize, or $115,000, for selling the winning ticket.
"We sold the ticket the third week after our official day of opening the store," said Sadi.
Since news of the winning ticket got out, business has picked up a lot.
"There are a lot of people that drove a long way to come buy tickets here," said Sadi.
In the last fiscal year, officials say more than $20.5 million in cash prizes went unclaimed.
The Palmdale woman's daughter recognized her from a newspaper photo of the supposed winner, captured on the liquor store's surveillance camera, according to the San Bernardino County Sun ().
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."
The woman bought the ticket in May, and with 180 days to claim the prize, she only had until Nov. 26 to cash in.
If it hadn't been claimed, the millions would have gone to California schools.
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.
The winning ticket was sold at Michael's Market and Liquor, where store manager Ben Sadi says the sale has been a stroke of good luck for the store's owners. The store received a bonus of one half percent of the prize, or $115,000, for selling the winning ticket.
"We sold the ticket the third week after our official day of opening the store," said Sadi.
Since news of the winning ticket got out, business has picked up a lot.
"There are a lot of people that drove a long way to come buy tickets here," said Sadi.
In the last fiscal year, officials say more than $20.5 million in cash prizes went unclaimed.
Lotto could sell a reminder service for an additional fee.
What is the point of buying a lottery ticket if you aren't going to check it?
Yawn
Sounds like something I'd do.
Amazing someone did not even know if they won... lady and I buy a single ticket once a week. Am I thinking we will be millionaires one day...probably but it will be because we worked all our lives for it and not from that ticket... but hey its nice to dream =)
So instead of letting 23 million dollars go towards education, where it is sorely needed, they do a public appeal to find the winner who obviously cares very little about the jackpot. They should have just sat there quietly for the date to arrive then put that money to good use.Â
@Barlion What if you were the winner? This lady may have felt like most of the rest of us that we would never win in a million years. Perhaps she was distracted and forgot. I hope if you ever win the lottery you will immediately sign the check over to the school district because after all you may not care about the money either.
 @Barlion All state lotteries fund education to varying degrees, so successful lotteries are good for schools. In order for lotteries to be successful they need winners--nobody wants to play a lottery that doesn't pay out.Â
@Barlion Are you nuts??? Sure all of those who buy tickets would love to win....but most of us don't "really" think we will, so suggesting that she cares very little is silly. And your idea that the State should have sat quietly so they would get the money  is preposturous. Have you no ethics whatsoever? Good grief. Your lack of honesty and sense of fair play is astonishing.....and disgusting.
 @Barlion So, it's somehow unethical for someone who rightfully and legally won a lot of money to be found via Public Appeal and it's unethical for her to claim it, but it IS ethical for people to intentionally ignore her interests for the sake of a schools? No, that is not how it works. And the school gets a share regardless, in fact 33% will go back into public systems and toward taxes.
 @GET Truth  @Barlion You buy a ticket, it's your responsibility to check the numbers. She is very fortunate that this worked out for her.Â
@caphillkid @KieferSkunk Who cares. Cap, why are you even logged in today? You are as liberal as I am, but you live on Party Mountain, I would think you would be celebrating still.
 @caphillkid  @KieferSkunk You people need to get over yourselves. Your little arguments are getting really tiresome.
 @KieferSkunk You have to check your numbers and declare yourself the winner, not the other way around. It's the way the system is set up. I hate to disagree with you, but technically just because you bought the ticket doesn't mean you are entitled to the winnings. You are entitled to the winnings when you show up with the winning ticket in hand.Â
 @caphillkid  @GET Truth  @Barlion She bought the ticket, she's entitled to the winnings.