Woman stops at market for energy drink — and wins $1 million, California Lottery says

A woman’s stop at a neighborhood market for an energy drink while driving home from work left her $1 million richer, the California Lottery reported.

Alexandria Rodriguez, who said she used to ride her bicycle to Helen’s Market as a child, picked out an “Xtreme Multiplier” scratcher on a whim after stopping for a drink, the lottery said in a June 6 news release.

“It was catchy. I liked the colors. I was like, ‘eh, just give me that one!’” Rodriguez told lottery officials. “What’s interesting is I ended up picking my lucky number.”

She ended up with the 22nd ticket from the pack, matching her lucky number and winning the top prize of $1 million, lottery officials said.

“The money is going to help with a lot of things,” Rodriquez said in the release. “I’m just looking forward to what one million dollars is going to bring. Positive things only!”

Whittier is about a 20-mile drive southeast from downtown Los Angeles.

This story was originally published June 10, 2024 at 10:16 AM with the headline "Woman stops at market for energy drink — and wins $1 million, California Lottery says."