This past week, a bizarre series of events unfolded around a woman claiming to be the winner of the jaw-dropping $1 billion Powerball jackpot, the third largest in the game's history, according to Daily Mail. The winning ticket was sold at Las Palmitas Mini Mart, a small store near Los Angeles' infamous Skid Row. However, as reported by Business Insider, the woman who appeared on television and declared herself the lucky winner has reportedly been exposed as a fraud by the storeowner's family.
Upon visiting the shop where the winning ticket was sold, the alleged winner seemed ecstatic, even hugging several people before leaving the scene. Sarai Palacios, granddaughter of storeowner Nabor Herrera, has since stated that the woman in question is not the true winner and simply "wanted to be on TV," according to Daily Mail.
As it stands, the real Powerball winner has not yet come forward. With this massive win being the third largest jackpot in the game's history and drawing attention from local news and enthusiasts alike, one might wonder why the true winner has yet to claim their life-changing prize, as noted by Hoodline San Jose. In the meantime, Palacios's family is in line for a $1 million windfall as the sellers of the winning ticket.
Nabor Herrera has shared his plans to use part of the windfall for a luxury vacation and a college fund for his family, according to Business Insider. This lucky turn of events follows another massive Powerball win last November, when a Pasadena gas station visitor claimed a record-breaking $2.04 billion jackpot.
Meanwhile, several individuals in the San Francisco Bay Area nearly scooped the jackpot with their tickets matching the first five Powerball numbers, earning each of them nearly half a million dollars. With the Powerball jackpot now reset, lottery enthusiasts continue to chase their dreams of vast riches.
Powerball tickets cost $2 per play and are available across 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, and the odds of winning the top prize currently stand at a staggering 1 in 292,201,338. Winners have one year from the date of the winning draw to claim their prize, and retailers that sell winning Powerball tickets receive a bonus of 1 percent of the prize amount.
