Lucky 17 Discover Good Fortune in Lotto Pool

Henry Ramirez’s first clue Thursday was the screaming when he walked into the office.

“You won! You won!” they yelled at Ramirez, 29, a customer representative at the Valley One-Stop at Van Nuys, an employment training agency.

“I didn’t even know what was going on. I didn’t believe them until I checked the numbers myself.” When he did, Ramirez realized he was in the lotto pool that won half of a $61-million jackpot.

There were two winning lottery tickets Wednesday night, one purchased in Commerce at 7 Day Liquor on South Atlantic Boulevard and another bought in Van Nuys at Jons Market on Van Nuys Boulevard.

Ramirez was among 17 people who pooled their money to buy lottery tickets--including the lucky one from Jons Market. Each of the 17 shares is worth about $609,000 after taxes.

As of Thursday afternoon, the lucky lottery player who bought a ticket in Commerce had not yet stepped forward to claim the other $30.5 million.

The 17 people in the pool work for at least three companies, including Jons Market, the Valley One-Stop and Noble Community Medical Associates in Van Nuys.

Eleven of them claimed their winnings at the state lottery office in Van Nuys on Thursday. Each had bought $5 in tickets, although two women split the cost of five tickets. Maria Valencia and Martha Gonzalez, who both work at Noble Community Medical Associates, will share their winnings.

Valencia, a 29-year-old receptionist from Granada Hills, said she was in bed Wednesday night, ready to go to sleep, when her boss called with the news.

Another winner, Olinda Estrada, 28, said she called two 7-Elevens for the winning numbers.

“I had a funny feeling in my stomach,” she recalled. Estrada said she wasn’t convinced until she went to a third convenience store and saw the numbers for herself.

“I was stunned. My boyfriend was the one yelling and screaming,” said Estrada, a medical assistant from Van Nuys.

“We have a lot of bills to pay,” she said. “This will help a lot.”

Teresa Gil, who intends to buy a new car and travel through Mexico, said she considers the jackpot a blessing.

“I’ve been praying to God that I can retire one day and take care of my mom,” said Gil, a project coordinator and one of three winners from Valley One-Stop. Gil said her 85-year-old mother has a heart condition and diabetes.

Tina Jolly of Van Nuys said she plans to donate 10% of her winnings, about $60,000, to a church in Texas, where she grew up.

“I was raised that you always put God first in your life,” said Jolly, 40, a One-Stop employment counselor.

Jolly went to claim her portion of the winnings with her 20-year-old daughter, Amie, and Amie’s fiance, David Cruz.

“Now,” Jolly joked, “he wants to marry me and not my daughter.”

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Times staff writer Joe Mozingo contributed to this story.