Three friends split lottery ticket while grocery shopping in Virginia — and won big
Walter Mendez, Delores Vigil and Juan Carlos Fuentes often play the lottery together.
“We always stop and play,” Mendez told Virginia Lottery officials, according to an April 20 new release.
Recently, the trio of friends went to Giant Food in Sterling to pick up some groceries, officials said. While they were shopping, they picked up a 50X the Money ticket.
Mendez was scratching the ticket when he noticed something unusual.
“I think we’ve got something!” he told his friends, according to officials.
The group did have something: a $3 million top prize.
When they claimed their prize, they opted to take a cash option, officials said. Each of the three took home $625,000 before taxes.
Sterling is about 30 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.
This story was originally published April 21, 2023 at 7:41 AM with the headline "Three friends split lottery ticket while grocery shopping in Virginia — and won big."
