Community Corner
Couple Makes $5 Million On 4th Of July Grocery Run In SoCal On Scratchers Lottery Game
A quick stop at a Southwest Riverside County grocery store led to $5 million in prize money. The store will get a $25,000 bonus.
MURRIETA, CA – A Riverside County woman who purchased a handful of Cash Is King Scratchers game cards at a Murrieta Albertsons won $5 million, the California Lottery confirmed Thursday.
Deborah Trullinger of Murrieta was out getting groceries at the Scott Road Albertsons, just off Interstate 215, where she bought the tickets, according to a California Lottery spokesperson.
After a few more errands, she returned home and began scratching her games as her husband watched the news.
“I didn’t have my glasses on, so I was scratching, and I thought ‘Oh! I won 500 dollars,’” Deborah Trullinger said. “Then I said ‘honey, I think I won 5,000’ and then I go, ‘wait a minute.’”
Then she was overwhelmed. She walked over to her husband and stood before him, speechless.
“What?” he asked. “You won $5,000?”
“No,” answered Trullinger. ”We won a little more than that.”
According to a California Lottery spokesperson, the Trullingers, who will soon celebrate 45 years of marriage, refer to their winnings as a $5 million anniversary prize.
“We both broke down in tears,” said Deborah Trullinger, her voice cracking just a little with the memory. “It was just an unforgettable moment.”
With their winnings now in hand, the Trullingers plan to accelerate their retirement, happy to have been given a few more years of self-directed time together to travel. Hawaii, she says, is first on the list, along with a new car, and perhaps a new home.
Trullinger considers herself lucky and has previously won $30,000 in lottery prizes in Arizona, according to the California Lottery statement.
The Murrieta Albertsons will receive a Lottery bonus of $25,000 for the sale of this top prize-winning game card.
