Winner of $1.75 BILLION California lottery FINALLY comes forward five months after striking gold at local convenience store

The winner of the $1.75 billion jackpot lottery has finally emerged five months after securing the second-largest lottery jackpot in US history at a local supermarket in Southern California.

Theodorus Struyck has been identified as the representative of a group of winners who bought the ticket last October at Midway Market & Liquor in Frazier Park, about an hour’s drive from Los Angeles.

Accounts using Struyck’s name have appeared on Facebook and Instagram, but it is unclear whether the accounts are actually his as the mysterious victor has not shared any content on the platforms.

While it’s unclear how many people were part of the group that purchased the life-changing ticket in October, the family-owned store managed to rake in at least $1 million from the sale of the ticket alone.

“Announcing big wins in this way gives all of our players the opportunity to hope and dream that they can be next,” Harjinder K. Shergill Chima, director of the California Lottery, said in a news release.

Theodorus Struyck has been identified as the representative of a group of winners who bought the ticket last October at Midway Market & Liquor in Frazier Park, about an hour’s drive from Los Angeles. Pictured: Store co-owner Nidal Khalil, center, laughs with son Jonathan Khalil, left, and nephew Chris Khalil, right

Accounts using Struyck’s name have appeared on Facebook and Instagram, but it is unclear whether the accounts are actually his as the mysterious victor has not shared any content on the platforms.

The winning numbers were 22, 24, 40, 52, 64 and the Powerball was 10.

Duke, the employee believed to have sold the winning ticket, told the story CBS Los Angeles in October: “The phone was ringing off the hook…someone owes me a new truck.”

As the employee speculated at the time, Struyck is indeed a long-time resident of Frazier Park, a small town where the median household income as of 2020 is $42,200.

“I’m pretty sure it’s a local,” Duke said. ‘There are people who come to get their tickets every day. We know them by name, so I’m sure someone will be shouting up and down.”

The huge payout is the second-largest lottery prize in US history, following Edwin Castro’s $2.04 billion Powerball win in California last November.

Castro has subsequently made a number of lavish real estate purchases, fueling speculation about who the latest winner of the country’s billionaire lottery could be.

According to California Lottery, the drawing will allow the organization to raise an additional $119.5 million for public schools in the state.

“It gives us an opportunity to shine a spotlight on our great mission of generating additional, complementary funding for public education in California,” said Director Chima.

“So it’s students of all ages across the state who are winning every day thanks to our players, our retail partners who sell these fun games, and our hardworking staff here at the Lottery. This is an exciting day for all of us!’ he said.

Duke, the employee believed to have sold the winning ticket, told CBS Los Angeles in October: “The phone is ringing off the hook…someone owes me a new truck.”

Jonathan Khalil, left, and Chris Khalil, sons of the store’s co-owners, hold up a ceremonial check after the winning $1.765 billion Powerball ticket was sold

May and Jacklin Khalil, the store’s owners, celebrated and said they were “so happy” after learning they would receive $1 million just for selling the winning numbers

The winning numbers were: 22, 24, 40, 52, 64 and the Powerball 10

Midway Market & Liquor is located approximately 100 miles north of downtown Los Angeles and is located in the Los Padres National Forest.

Duke said TThere was a huge excitement among the locals after the news spread, and “the phone was ringing off the hook and people were offering congratulations.”

“A lot of customers come in every day to get their tickets religiously, and a lot of them said, ‘If I win, I’ll get you a new truck… so where’s my truck?’ he joked.

Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

In most lottery games, the winner has 180 days to claim their prize. The exceptions are Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots, which have a one-year deadline.

The next Powerball drawing takes place on Saturday and has a jackpot currently estimated at $600 million

Winnings would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.