Woman who was formerly homeless wins $5m in lottery scratch-off ticket

Lucia Forseth says she was homeless six years ago and is now set to get married this year as well as earn a degree

A California woman who was formerly homeless is now a millionaire after winning $5m from a lottery scratch-off ticket.

Lucia Forseth says she was homeless six years ago and is now set to get married this year as well as earn a degree.

She bought the ticket t a Walmart Supercenter in Pittsburg, California, and scratched it off while getting her car’s oil changed.

“I closed my eyes and picked that one, and it won,” she told lottery officials. “I first thought I’d won a free ticket, but I checked, and it said I won $5 million.”

And she told the California Lottery that she will use the money to buy a house and invest the rest of her winnings.

“This year I am getting married, getting my associate degree, and won $5 million,” she said.

“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.”

A spokesperson for California Lottery said Forseth’s “success story” shows off the “positive impact our games have on winners and schools alike.”

The organisation says that nearly $2bn of funding was given from the California Lottery to the state’s public education systems for the 2021-2022 financial year.