S.D. County Draws Pair of Lucky Lotto Winners

Games of chance have been a fixture in Theresa Adams’ life as far back as she can remember. Bingo, the ponies, Las Vegas slot machines--she’s won at them all, and has taken each in stride.

But when Adams, an El Cajon resident, learned Wednesday night that she was one of five people to win the California State Lottery’s $22.7-million jackpot, her poker face shattered like a porcelain bowl.

“I was having a jewelry party at my niece’s, and I just lost it,” she said, her gleeful tone marred by a husky voice. “I’m still a bit hoarse from all the yelling. I’ve won a lot of contests before, but never anything like this. This is a dream come true.”

‘I Shook a Lot, Really’

Hours after Adams showed her ticket to officials at the area lottery office, a second San Diego County resident, Gloria Stuntebeck of Chula Vista, showed up with her winning ticket for the Lotto 6/49 game.

Stuntebeck said she missed the drawing Wednesday night, so she looked up the results in the paper Thursday. “I opened the paper, and there it was, hitting me in the face,” she said.

Stuntebeck said she couldn’t register much of a reaction.

“I just shook a little. I shook a lot, really. It’s spooky. You really don’t believe it. But I finally realized I had won, so I opened a bottle of champagne and celebrated with my daughter.”

Stuntebeck said she hadn’t decided what she will do with her new wealth, but she insisted she won’t squander it.

“I really don’t need anything,” said Stuntebeck, 54, who works for an apartment complex. “I just bought a new house, so I won’t move. I don’t need a new car. I guess I’ll just spend it on my kids.”

In addition to the local contestants, three others also selected the correct six-number combination--32, 20, 10, 17, 40 and 1--to capture the $22,740,027 jackpot. Their winnings make up the third-largest jackpot in the history of the state lottery.

The other winners are Palmdale mechanic Dennis Swayze and two players who bought tickets in Hawthorne and Fremont. Those two had not yet apprised lottery officials of their good fortune.

Wasted Little Time

Adams, however, wasted little time in sharing knowledge of her windfall. Lottery officials said she had her $1 ticket validated Thursday morning. (Winners have 180 days before the tickets are voided.)

“I called my husband, Ed, and told him I had won and to come on home,” said Adams, 49, an office manager for a San Diego construction firm. “He works in L.A., so he drove straight down. He’s quitting.”

“After that, I called my sister and my kids. And I had my accountant over here at 5 o’clock in the morning.”

So it began for Adams, who will receive more than $4 million over the next 20 years, said lottery officials, who will send her her first check for about $188,000 in two weeks and annuities of the same amount on each anniversary of her win.

Adams, who purchased her ticket Tuesday at a liquor store in El Cajon, said she will invest most of the money. But she quickly added that financial responsibility won’t keep her from pampering herself and her family.

Red Convertible Mercedes-Benz

“I’m going out to buy me a red convertible 450 SL Mercedes-Benz,” said Adams, who has four children and two grandchildren. “I’ve always liked those cars, and now I can get one.

“My husband and I are also going to have a house built somewhere in the East County. I can’t leave here. I’m going to keep my job for a while, too, but he doesn’t have to work anymore.”

Ed Adams, who works for Lockheed Corp., said he will resign today. He figures his announcement will not shock his employers.

“It won’t be formal until then,” he said. “But somehow I think they already know.”

Described by his wife as the “cool, calm, collected” half of the marriage, he said he

never discouraged her from playing the games.

“I figured she would win something,” said Adams, who once won $5,000 in a lottery himself.

His wife said she was pleased for all of the winners, especially Stuntebeck.

“It’s nice to have the wealth spread around to all the winners,” she said, “but it’s great that one of them came from San Diego. I thought only people up north won. It’s about time some of that money got down here to us.”

But windfalls were being dumped in Adams’ lap long before she won her chunk of the state lottery.

“I’ve been playing different games for a long time,” she said. “I play bingo frequently. I also go to Las Vegas; I play the horses and other things. And I win quite a bit. But $4 million? This--this is ludicrous. Nobody needs that much money.”

Adams said she plays the Lotto 6/49 twice a week and usually purchases $20 worth of tickets at a time. And, although she bought only 15 Tuesday, she relied on her regular combinations.

“I always go with a certain group of numbers,” she said. “It’s my system, and it paid off. I think I’ve got a lucky star shining up over my head.”