MISSION VIEJO -- Thuan Le checked her SuperLotto Plus ticket in the self-service machine at the CVS store in Mission Viejo, and something happened different from all the other times she checked.
Before getting too excited, Le and her coworkers walked up to Jonathan Ziebell, a shift supervisor at the pharmacy on Santa Margarita Parkway.
"You have the winning ticket," he told Le.
Cheers and screams erupted. Le's coworkers jumped in the air and clapped. Le's reaction? Tears and near collapse, Ziebell said.
Le recently claimed her ticket -- worth $14 million -- at the California Lottery's Santa Ana District Office, according to a lottery news release.
Le told lottery officials she and a friend usually buy their tickets together at the same store every week. Last week, the single mother of four stopped into CVS by herself.
She put her money in the self-service terminal and bought her usual tickets, two Powerball and one SuperLotto, lottery spokeswoman Cathy Doyle Johnston said. None of them was the winning ticket.
The one she got by accident was.
Le inadvertently put $6 in the machine -- she normally puts in $5 -- and when she realized she had a credit, she decided to get another SuperLotto ticket, she told lottery officials.
That was the winner. She had all five numbers -- 5, 33, 25, 46, 32 -- plus the Mega number, 26.
Le called her sons to help her fill out the necessary paperwork to claim the ticket. They thought she was joking, one son told lottery officials, but soon realized she wasn't.
Le plans to buy a house, travel and visit her parents in Vietnam, according to the release. CVS will receive $70,000, one-half percent of the jackpot, for selling the winning ticket.
Contact the writer: 949-454-7363 or mshadia@ocregister.com
(c)2013 The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Visit The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.) at www.ocregister.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
