By Jon Chown
FELTON — The mystery customer of the Felton Quik Stop who bought a California Lottery ticket with $1.66 million has still not come forward, but Jesse Hernandez, a cashier at the store, says he knows who he sold it to and when.
Hernandez said Sunday night that he sold the winning ticket on the previous Sunday between 6 and 6:30 p.m.
“I can’t remember how many they bought, but I’ve seen the person in here before playing the Lottery a few times,” he said.
Hernandez said he is not allowed to say more than that.
The MegaMillions ticket’s winning numbers were 13-17-24-47-65. The bonus number was incorrect, making the ticket worth $1.66 million rather than $25 million, according to Greg Parashak of the California Lottery.
Parashak said it’s not uncommon for big winners to wait a bit before claiming the prize.
“We’ve had winners come forward a couple months later,” Parashak said. “The winner has 180 days.”
Million-dollar prizes have gone unclaimed before, Parashak said, and the unclaimed money goes straight to education.
Sophia and Jeff Ngar of San Jose, who have owned the Quik Stop for eight years, stand to profit as well. Retailers are awarded .5 percent of the prize, which comes to $8,500, but they said they will have to split with the franchise. They said the store had never had a big winner before, just tickets for $500 or $1,000.
“I am hoping the winner is one of my regulars,” said Sophia Ngar.
The winner is to turn in the ticket at a Lottery district office. The closest one is in San Francisco.
“Then it will take four to six weeks for them to get a big check minus 25 percent in taxes,” Parashak said.