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Ex-Unhoused East Bay Woman Strikes Gold with $5M Lottery Scratchers Win
A woman from the Bay Area, who experienced homelessness as recently as 2017, has seen her fortunes take a remarkable turn with a $5 million victory on a California Lottery Scratchers ticket. Lucia Forseth was no longer homeless when she purchased a 2023 Scratchers ticket at the Walmart Supercenter in Pittsburg. Her win now places her among California's newest multimillionaires, as reported by the California Lottery.
Forseth shared with the California Lottery, "I only bought one ticket. I closed my eyes and picked that one, and it won! I first thought I’d won a free ticket, but I checked, and it said I won $5 million!" She bought the ticket while visiting Walmart for an oil change and scratched it right outside the store. The "2023" ticket holds special significance for her.
Forseth told lottery officials, "Six years ago, I was homeless. This year I am getting married, getting my associate degree, and won $5 million. You never think you have a chance to win it. It is just random. Being homeless just six years ago, I never thought it would happen to someone like me." She plans to purchase a house and invest the remaining money, according to the lottery.