18/05/2006
Juan Rodriguez, a 38-year-old former oil field worker from Charlotte in South Texas, today claimed the February 9th $18 million Lotto Texas jackpot.
Like several past Lotto Texas winners, Rodriguez penciled in what he called “the wrong number” on his play slip, only to have it turn out to be the right number for the big win.
“I wanted to pick the number '49,' but I made a mistake and scratched in the number '50,' he said. “I was going to throw it away, but I bought it. I also bought one Quick Pick.”
The day after the drawing, Rodriguez discovered he had won, but none of his friends believed him.
“In the morning I heard the number ‘50' on the radio, but the other guys in the truck were talking so all I knew was that I had one of the numbers,” he said. “On the way home, we stopped to get some sodas at a store, and I got a print-out of the winning numbers. None of the guys believed me when I said I had won.”
The disbelief of his companions made Rodriguez say no more about it.
“But on the way home, I kept saying to myself, ‘I'm a millionaire,'” he said. “I kept saying that to myself that night at the Wal-Mart when I was buying a fan for my parents. That was Thursday night. On Friday, I quit my job.”
Rodriguez is an 11-year veteran of the oil fields. Most recently he worked for Capital Well Services.
Until now, he has managed to keep the $18 million secret from his parents and practically everybody else, even after he quit working.
“My parents got angry with me because I quit my job,” he said. “So I told them I got a job somewhere else so they wouldn't be upset.”
To ensure that his family continued believing he worked elsewhere, Rodriguez has been getting up every morning at his usual time, 5 a.m., dressing for work and leaving his home to return at the end of the day, just as he did when he was employed.
“I've watched a lot of TV in the last few weeks, but not at home,” he said. “When I'm not doing that, I cruise around, get lost, just take it easy. I've never had to lie so much about where I've been.”
Rodriguez says he plans to buy a new truck, but hasn't thought beyond that.
“I guess my family will know that I won pretty soon if they read the paper and then see me with a new truck,” he said. “They'll know something's going on when they see me fixing up the house.”
Rodriguez says he will continue buying Lotto Texas tickets.
“I've been playing since Lotto began,” he said. “I won once, I can win again.”
The new winner chose the Cash Value Option for his ticket. His total prize comes to $8,924, 407.20. The winning numbers were 29-32-09-21-38-50.
The retailer, Stop N Go #02428, located at 2nd Street at Commerce in Pleasanton, is eligible to receive a one-percent bonus of the advertised jackpot, $180,000, for selling the winning ticket. |