One Katy area resident became a multi-millionaire over the weekend after picking the winning numbers in Friday’s $144 million Mega Millions lottery game.
Although the winner’s name has not yet been announced, Texas Lottery officials confirmed the winning ticket was purchased at the Short Stop Market at 5304 E. Fifth Street at Katyland Drive in east Katy.
Store manager Salim Turk confirmed the winner was a store regular.
Turk said lottery officials notified him early Saturday morning that his store sold the winning ticket. The lucky customer came in for his morning cup of coffee about an hour later and Turk told him to check his numbers. That was when the customer realized he hit the jackpot numbers.
“He just kept saying over and over ‘thank you,’” Turk said. “He just couldn’t stop thanking me.”
Turk said the customer had been playing the lottery twice a week for more than five years, typically buying his lottery tickets with a cup of coffee.
The winning numbers were 1, 10, 22, 23 and 38 with 19 as the Mega Ball number.
Odds of picking the winner were one in 175,711,536, according to lottery officials.
By: John Pape on Mon, Feb 1, 2010
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