NORWALK, Calif. (AP) — The winner of a $26 million California Lottery prize may have literally washed the chance of a fortune down the drain.
The winning SuperLotto Plus ticket for the Nov. 14 drawing was sold at an Arco AM/PM convenience store in the Los Angeles suburb of Norwalk.
Thursday was the deadline to redeem it.
Nobody did.
A store employee says a woman told workers that she bought the ticket but put it in her pants pocket and then washed the pants, destroying it.
According to The Associated Press, the woman was captured on surveillance video, which the convenience store turned over to California Lottery officials.
The woman will likely have to fill out a claim form if she believes she's a winner, but if the ticket is lost, they must provide evidence, such as a picture of the front and back of the ticket.
Lottery officials say they will investigate the claim, but if the woman didn't have the ticket or photographic evidence, she is out of luck.
Officials said the $19.7 million would go to California public schools if the prize isn’t claimed.
And the store where the ticket was sold would receive a $130,000 bonus.
