BALTIMORE (AP) — Miguel Bonilla of Wheaton had forgotten that he had bought a Mega Millions lottery ticket, even after a co-worker told him that the $109 million jackpot winner was sold at the Kensington store where he often stops for coffee.
Three days after the winning numbers were drawn April 9, he fished out the ticket he had been carrying around in his pocket. After checking the numbers — and rechecking them in disbelief — he told his wife they were the winners.
“She says, ’Maybe you are confused,’” Mr. Bonilla said.
Any confusion was cleared up yesterday when Maryland Lottery officials handed Mr. Bonilla and his now convinced wife, Maria, a check for $62 million.
The couple chose to take their winnings in a lump sum and will receive $42 million after they pay federal and state taxes.
Their jackpot is the second largest in Maryland lottery history, beaten only by the $183 million won last year by Bernadette Gietka of Baltimore County.
Mr. Bonilla went to his construction job at 5 a.m. the day after learning he won, and Mrs. Bonilla kept her job as a cleaner in the Montgomery County schools until Friday.
But they say they probably will stop working and move to a new home in the region. And they are making plans to take their four children to Disney World.
“Thank you, thank you God for giving me the money,” said a beaming Mr. Bonilla during a press conference. “We are happy, my wife is so happy, everybody is happy.”
Both had immigrated from El Salvador in the early 1980s to escape the civil war that raged in their home country and kept them from finding good jobs.
The couple, both in their 40s, met on a bus in the District while commuting to work. Mrs. Bonilla gave Mr. Bonilla her phone number after they got off at the same stop one day. They have been married for 15 years.
Mr. Bonilla worked for 18 years at Miller-Long Concrete Construction, a job he says he loved. He bought lottery tickets every few weeks at the Kensington Mart, a habit that his wife thought was a waste of money but grudgingly accepted. But she’s changed her mind.
“I never believed we could win,” she said.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.