The $4 million Powerball winner who was drawn on Jan. 30 has finally claimed his prize, the California Lottery reported Wednesday.
This ticket coincided with five numbers: 1, 4, 12, 36 and 49, and only missing Powerball number 5 which would have made him the winner of the 600 million played that day.
Misael Cruz purchased his ticket at the ARCO gas station convenience store located in the 16120 block of Slover Avenue in Fontana.
That day, Cruz already knew he was going to win. “I had a hunch the day I bought my tickets,” Cruz told the California Lottery. “The clerk wished me luck. As I walked through the door, I thought, “What if I win?”
Shortly after the draw, Cruz’s son texted him saying the winning ticket had been purchased from his father’s trusted store.
“I was sitting on my couch and my son was texting me,” Cruz explained. “He said, ‘Dad, don’t you buy your lottery tickets at that gas station in Fontana?’ I buy them there all the time. He told me someone won the Powerball there.”
The man took his ticket to see the ticket numbers he had purchased and “I looked online and my heart started beating really fast. I looked at my girlfriend and she didn’t believe I won because I showed no emotion. I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it. I had to check the numbers three times!
Cruz said he bought his ticket there because the jackpot was growing fast, but he is a regular lottery buyer.
“I know exactly why I won. Exactly why,” Cruz said. “I help a lot of people and I never expect anything in return. That’s what I teach my kids. I was rewarded for my help.”
Finally, the lucky winner said, “I will continue to help people. I’m going to invest something, but that money isn’t going to change me as a person. I will continue to buy at the cheapest prices,” Cruz said with a laugh.