Winner of $1M lottery says husband found ticket in pocket a week later

LANSING, Mich. (WILX/Gray News) - A woman who said she always believed she would win big has won a $1 million Powerball prize from the Michigan Lottery.

Ana Elizalde matched the five white balls in the Feb. 6 drawing to win the big prize: 05-11-22-23-69. The 51-year-old bought her winning ticket at Sav-Way Food Center, which is located on West Michigan Avenue in Lansing.

“Me and my husband buy a Powerball ticket for every drawing, and we always knew we would win big,” Elizalde said. “I purchased a Powerball ticket as usual, and I gave it to my husband to hold on to. A week after the drawing my husband found the ticket in his coat pocket and realized we had never checked it.”

Elizalde said they went to the store to scan it before getting a message to file a claim.

“When we checked the numbers online and realized we’d won $1 million, we were in shock,” she said. “We always had a feeling this day would come, and now that it’s here, it feels surreal.”

Elizalde recently visited lottery headquarters to claim her prize. With her winnings, she plans to pay bills, pay for her children’s education and then save the remainder.