Northern CA man wins $5 million lottery scratcher jackpot. ‘Couldn’t believe it’

A Northern California man is $5 million richer thanks to a winning lottery ticket, according to California State Lottery officials

Edy Giron Ruiz of Sebastopol, which is about a 55-mile drive northwest from San Francisco, scratched the Maximum Millions Scratchers ticket at a gas station on his way home from work, lottery officials said in a Monday, Nov. 17, news release.

“When I scanned it and saw what it said, I couldn’t believe it,” Ruiz said in the release. “It was only happiness.”

“I was with my brothers and we all celebrated together,” he said.

Where was winning lottery ticket sold?

According to state lottery officials, Ruiz bought his lucky lottery ticket at Husary 76 gas station, 2110 North Gravenstein Highway in Sebastopol.

Ruiz purchased the winning scratcher on Valentine’s Day — Feb. 14 — but didn’t claim his prize until recently, lottery officials said.

Ruiz said he plans to visit his family with his winnings, lottery officials said.

He said he hasn’t had a chance to visit his loved ones in years.

California Scratchers ticket wins $1 million prize

Ruiz wasn’t the only California lottery ticket holder to win big.

Jeong Hwa Seo hit a $1 million jackpot on a Triple Red 777 Scratchers ticket purchased at Lee’s Liquor, 1800 West Sixth Street in Los Angeles, lottery officials said.