A California Lottery scratcher ticket that was given to a man as a gift by his father turned out to be a multimillion-dollar winner.
Jerry Herrejon won a $7 million jackpot playing a Crossword Xtreme scratcher that was gifted to him by his father the day after Christmas.
The ticket was purchased at Louie’s Liquor Market at the corner of Sherman Way and Varna Avenue in North Hollywood, California Lottery officials said.
Herrejon told the Lottery that his father gave him the scratcher game to make up for a lack of a Christmas gift that year, saying, “‘Here, here’s your gift for Christmas.'”
Herrejon took the ticket home to play it and discovered the last-minute Christmas gift was a $7 million jackpot winner.
He told the California Lottery that his immediate reaction was excitement, followed by a moment to collect his thoughts and decide “what I was going to do with it before I cashed it out.”
His plans, he tells the Lottery, are to keep working as if nothing happened and live within his same means as before — albeit with a sizeable safety net.
“It’s better that way,” Herrejon said. “Because if you start spending it, it goes away just as fast as you got it.”
Jerry isn’t the only big winner in recent California Lottery games.
Gary Barsegyan won $5 million playing a 100X Scratchers game that he purchased at One Stop Food Mart in Palmdale. He joins Jose Morales with the same jackpot on a ticket purchased in Alameda County.
In San Diego County, Ohanees Kandelyan won a mind-blowing $10 million on a scratcher purchased at a liquor store in El Cajon.
But as for Herrejon, who says he only plays the lottery when certain jackpots are swelling, don’t be surprised if you see his name in the headlines again.
“I feel like I have a history of lucky things happening, like in a weird way,” he joked with Lottery officials.
The California Lottery is required to disclose the name of a winner and the location in which they purchased their winning ticket. Contrary to popular belief, you cannot claim lottery wins anonymously — at least not in California.
Regardless, those who play the games responsibly can hang their hat on helping out their community, as funds purchased by players provide supplemental funding for public education efforts across the state.
For more information about the California Lottery, its regulations and how the money is spent, click here.
