Two lucky lottery players in San Jose recently won $1 million each on Scratchers tickets, according to the California Lottery.
Lasandra Arizmendez won her jackpot playing the Gold Rush game on a ticket she received as a Christmas gift from her loved ones.
The ticket was bought at the Piedmont Shell gas station in San Jose. Arizmendez told lottery officials giving Scratchers tickets as gifts is a family tradition.
"We really believe in it, and we believe in miracles. That’s what this was, a miracle on Christmas," Arizmendez said. "I was a little leery because my family plays tricks on me, but when I turned it over, I knew it was real."
Arizmendez told lottery officials she is a hairdresser, and when her salon closed during the pandemic, she was out of work. She now plans to buy a house and start her kids’ college funds with the prize money.
Piedmont Shell gets a $5,000 bonus for selling the jackpot ticket.
The second San Jose winner is Ishak Jimenez, who won $1 million on a California Dreamin' ticket he bought at the Safeway supermarket on West San Carlos Street.
Local
Jimenez told the lottery he often plays with his mom, and they were together when they bought his winning ticket.
"It was kind of a shock," he said. "I really want to buy some property and build my own custom house."
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
The Safeway store also will receive a $5,000 bonus.
