Local Claims $587K Mega Millions Prize

The winning lottery ticket matched five numbers and was purchased in Lemon Grove

A lucky local who bought a Mega Millions Lottery ticket has just won himself $587,468.

According to a media release from the California Lottery, San Diegan Berle Simpson recently purchased a prize-winning Mega Millions ticket at the Arco AM/PM store located at 8001 Broadway in Lemon Grove.

Simpson’s lucky ticket matched five numbers – 45, 5, 51, 9 and 38 -- in the Mega Millions drawing on July 24, missing only the Mega number, 5.

The ticket was enough for Simpson to win a massive chunk of change worth more than half a million dollars.

According to the California Lottery, Simpson said he had only bought Lottery tickets at that Lemon Grove Arco a couple of times before. He said he was completely shocked upon seeing that he’d won $587,468.

“I immediately freaked,” Simpson told reps from the California Lottery. “I just kept saying this can’t be happening.”

Simpson said he plans to be extremely careful with his Lottery winnings. He has already consulted a tax attorney and financial planners about how to handle his new cash prize.

He does, however, have his sights set on one major splurge.

Simpson said he’s had his eye on an Audi S5, a special car he may wind up owning soon.

“I haven’t even picked out the color yet. I’ll do that when I have my bargaining chips,” he told California Lottery reps.

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