LONG BEACH >> A Mega Millions lottery ticket with five numbers, but missing the Mega number, was sold in an Albertsons store in Long Beach and is worth $1,263,024, according to the California Lottery’s website.
“Wow, that’s a lot of money,” said Tony Morisson as he exited the Albertsons on Spring Street and Palo Verde Avenue. “There is one happy person walking around today.”
The ticket was purchased by somebody at that Albertsons supermarket at Spring Street, and it bears winning numbers 2, 32, 35, 50, and 59. It missed the winning Mega number, 3, and its grand prize of about $150 million. The numbers were drawn Friday night.
As of early Saturday afternoon, the prize had not been claimed, but customer Norma Garcia said she could understand the person’s hesitation.
“If that was me I would be happy, but scared,” she laughed. “All of a sudden you’re going to get all kinds of calls from so-called friends and family. And I have a lot of family.” Garcia said she occasionally plays the lottery but usually buys her tickets at convenience stores. “I really don’t think about buying them at grocery stores, but maybe now I might change my mind,” she said.
Morisson said if he ever won more than $1 million dollars he’d pay off his student loans, all his debts and try to invest most of the rest. “I mean, I would get a new car, probably, but I would want it to grow.”
Garcia, however said she would approach the money a different way. “Of course you want to be responsible, but it would be so much fun to walk into a store and buy whatever you want or need and not have to worry if you have enough money in the bank,” she said. “I would definitely go on a little spree. Just a little one. And maybe I would being my family,” she giggled.
There was no winning Mega Millions ticket sold, according to the website, however, a second ticket with the same five numbers, but missing the Mega number, was sold in Ohio.
Employees at the Albertsons were not able to comment and calls to the store’s corporate office early Saturday afternoon were not immediately returned.
City News Service contributed to this report.
