Lottery Winner Emerges From Hiding to Claim Prize

Leonardo Hernandez, the elusive California lottery winner from Santa Clarita who reportedly feared for his life if he claimed his $34-million share of last week’s huge jackpot, finally showed up Monday to register for his prize.

Hernandez, 32, bought his winning ticket at the urging of a clerk at Valencia Liquor in Newhall just a few hours before the winning numbers were read. On Thursday, as the jubilant winners of a ticket sold in Bakersfield and another ticket-holder from Ventura came forward, Hernandez remained in hiding.

Lottery winners must register their winning tickets in person at a lottery office and establish that they are the actual ticket owner, with no other claimants.

“He’s scared,” Manhye Hahn, owner of Valencia Liquor, said at the time. “He is a young guy and he’s scared that somebody wants to get the money and kill him. He doesn’t want to show up in public.”

So he played a guessing game with lottery officials in Van Nuys who waited for him to show up Friday to claim his winnings. Then they waited some more Monday. Finally, late in the day, Hernandez showed up, they said.

He requested that lottery officials not release any information about him, said Cathy Doyle Johnston, a California lottery spokeswoman. She said she could reveal only Hernandez’s name, where he purchased his ticket and how much he won.

Hernandez selected the lottery’s new lump-sum payment and will receive $16.9 million before federal taxes of about 40%. Manhye and Hosup Hahn, who own Valencia Liquor in Newhall, will receive about $170,000, or 0.5% of the ticket’s value.