Neighbors of the California grandfather who won the second-largest lottery jackpot in history have raised concerns for his safety after he posted a “private property” notice outside his home and fled town.
Theodorus Struyck, 65, chose to settle in Frazier Park in 2010. The Hawaii native is one of about 3,000 residents who call the mountain town home.
However, after news broke of his $1.76 billion win, Struyck placed a yellow “private property” sign outside his home and disappeared, leaving neighbors wondering where he was.
Kevin Woten, who takes over the care of Struyck’s house during his absence, told the newspaper American sun he was afraid of ‘dark people who did no good’.
“I’m afraid someone will come along and put a bag over his head, throw him in a van and take him away, things like that,” Woten said.
‘I hope he will look into security. With that money it has to be done.’
Theodorus Struyck, 65, has disappeared from the small town of Frazier Park, California after his $1.76 billion Powerball win
A ‘private property’ notice has been posted at his home urging trespassers to stay away
Struyck moved to the city with approximately 3,000 inhabitants in 2010. He is a Hawaiian native and retired UPS employee
Last week, the California Lottery named Struyck, a retired UPS worker, as the representative of a group of winners who scored last October’s $1.765 billion jackpot drawing.
Under California state law, winners are required to reveal their full names.
Other details considered “public matter” include the name and location of the retailer who sold the winning ticket, the date won and the amount of the winnings, according to a 2020 handbook from the California Lottery.
Dan Perry, the owner of a local gun shop, said the disclosure of Struyck’s identity had put him in danger.
“If I lived here I wouldn’t want to be named, now he has a big bullseye on his back,” Perry said.
A neighbor who spoke on anonymity told DailyMail.com that the media attention had driven Struyck out of town.
The 65-year-old bought the ticket in October at Midway Market, a family-owned business. Months later he cashed in in San Diego, where his son is stationed with the U.S. Marines.
Nidal “Andy” Khalil, the owner of Midway Market, received $1 million for selling the winning ticket.
The lucky ticket was purchased at Midway Market, a local family-owned grocery store
Since Struyck’s big win, neighbors have raised concerns about his safety, with one local resident commenting that he had a ‘bull’s-eye’
Another neighbor said he was afraid that “shady people who are up to no good” might put a bag over (Struyck’s) head, throw him in a van and take him away.
He told DailyMail.com that Struyck was one of several locals who regularly stopped by the store.
“I was sure someone local had bought the ticket, and I’m so glad they did,” Khalil said.
When Struyck stepped forward after the prize went unclaimed for months, Khalil said he felt relieved.
“I’m really happy that someone has finally claimed the win because I thought the ticket had been lost or the winner had washed it in the wash,” he said.
Struyck’s success is not an anomaly. California Lottery players have scored the four largest jackpots in Powerball history, dating back to 2016, each worth more than $1 billion, according to the California Lottery.
The October win came during the 36th drawing for that Powerball series, a run that raised another $119.5 million for public schools.
The state lottery’s retail partners collectively earned more than $18 million in commissions and bonuses during the three-month jackpot run.
“Announcing big wins like this gives all our players the opportunity to hope and dream that they can be next,” said director Harjinder K. Shergill Chima.
“But it also gives us an opportunity to shine a spotlight on our great mission of generating additional, complementary funding for public education in California.”
Struyck’s prize is the second largest after Edwin Castro’s $2.04 billion victory in November 2022. The payout was approximately $997 million after taxes.
Castro became a media fixture when he splurged on a real estate portfolio worth about $76 million, two vintage Porsches and three vintage Volkswagens.
He is also embroiled in a dispute over ownership of the ticket, with a man named Jose Rivera claiming that Castro stole it from him.