PETALUMA, Calif. – Beginner's luck has turned a California woman into a millionaire.
After playing the lottery for the first time, Elba Escamilla of Petaluma, Calif., discovered she had won the $80 million jackpot, state lottery officials said.
Escamilla bought the winning ticket last week, but didn't check the numbers until she heard a television report about an unclaimed ticket from the store where she made her purchase, officials said.
The 48-year-old Escamilla has declined to be interviewed. A written statement released by the lottery says she plans on using part of the money to take her family for a vacation in Hawaii.
Her $80 million jackpot is the largest ever for a Sonoma County resident.
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