Salinas Man Picks Up $2.7 Million Lottery Prize On His Way To Las Vegas
SALINAS (CBS SF) -- A man who purchased a winning lottery ticket worth more than $2.7 million in Salinas claimed his prize on his way to Las Vegas, California Lottery officials announced Wednesday.
Charles Messenger purchased a Mega Millions ticket at Star Market located at 1275 S. Main St. and won $2,702,648 in Tuesday's drawing, lottery officials said.
In a statement market manager Mark Rollins said, "We have some really loyal customers come here since we're an independent grocery store with a home town feel. We haven't had a winner like this but we have a lot of people who play regularly at our store."
Messenger's ticket matched the winning numbers of 1, 39, 52, 69, 72 but missed the Mega number of 12, according to lottery officials.
"Last night was surreal when I checked the ticket," Messenger said in a statement. "It's like a whole new reality."
"My son said he refused to believe me when I told him," Messenger said. "He kept saying I was messing with him."
Messenger claimed his winnings at the California Lottery's East Bay district office in Hayward before he went on vacation to Las Vegas, lottery officials said.
No one matched all six numbers in Tuesday's drawing, increasing the jackpot for Friday's drawing to an estimated $233 million, according to lottery officials.
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