Time Short to Claim $16-Million Lotto

An unclaimed Lotto ticket worth $16 million was purchased here about four months ago, and if the owner doesn’t claim the prize soon the money will go to public schools, Lottery officials said Friday.

The winning ticket, purchased at Chappy’s Liquor last Sept. 12, is the most valuable unclaimed ticket in California Lottery history, officials said.

Lottery winners have 180 days after the Lotto drawing to claim jackpots, and the winner of the $16-million jackpot has until March 11 to turn in a claim, officials said.

Dave Quach, the 25-year-old owner of Chappy’s Liquor, said he has been asking customers to double-check their tickets or look for misplaced ones.

“I’ve been talking to a lot of customers,” he said. “They’re all checking it out, but it has been about two or three months, and still nothing.”

Cynthia Moore, a spokeswoman for the California Lottery, said there are countless of explanations as to why jackpots go unclaimed.

Two sizable jackpots went unclaimed in 1987 and 1988, Moore said. The former was worth $3.98 million and the latter was worth $4.7 million.

Quach said he is keeping his fingers crossed that the $16-million jackpot will be claimed before the March deadline.

“I haven’t heard anything yet,” he said. “But I’m still hoping someone brings (the Lotto ticket) in.”

The winning numbers on the $16-million ticket are 16, 23, 26, 34, 35 and 38.