In recent news, a woman claimed to have won the $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot, but the granddaughter of the store owner where the ticket was sold has stated that the woman is lying. Sarai Palacios, the granddaughter of Nabor Herrera, owner of Las Palmitas Mini Market near LA's Skid Row, informed the Daily Mail that the woman had not actually won the jackpot. Palacios speculated that the woman may have made the false claim in order to gain attention. She also clarified that the actual winner has not yet come forward.
California Lottery confirmed that the winning ticket was indeed sold at the store. This particular Powerball jackpot is the third-largest ever won and the sixth-largest in US lottery history. A video shared by Inside Edition showed the unidentified woman entering the downtown store, crying and affirming that she had won when asked by a reporter. She then quickly left the store and got into a car.
In the full video, the woman can be heard expressing fear and stating that she needs to find someone before abruptly fleeing the scene. Herrera, who was unaware that his store had sold the winning ticket until Thursday, believed the woman's claim to be "fake" as he did not recognize her.
The store owner will receive a reward of $1 million for selling the winning ticket. He plans to use some of the winnings to take his family on vacation.
This $1 billion Powerball jackpot followed 38 consecutive draws without a winner. Last year, Californian Edwin Castro won a record $2 billion Powerball Jackpot with a ticket purchased 13 miles from Herrera's store.
As of now, the true winner of the $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot remains unknown. The woman's false claim has generated significant attention, but it is still unclear why she made the announcement. The story continues to unfold as authorities work to identify the rightful winner of this massive prize.