Woman wins $500,000 lottery scratcher in Mendota

A woman who bought a $1 lottery ticket parlayed her winnings into a $500,000 jackpot.

The California Lottery reported that Reyna Gonzalez bought a $1 Scratchers ticket using four quarters, and ended up winning $10.

She then took the $10 and bought two $5 Scratchers. She scratched the first one and won a cool $100.

Then she scratched the second one and won again, this time a whopping $500,000. It’s the top prize of the Money in the Bank game.

“I felt lucky,” she told California Lottery officials. “I felt like I’m going to win more and scratched the other ticket and won.”

Gonzalez said she plans to use the money to help her parents pay off their home and buy a home of her own.

The winning ticket was sold at Town & Country Liquor in Mendota.

This story was originally published June 2, 2017 at 4:14 PM with the headline "Woman wins $500,000 lottery scratcher in Mendota."