Woodridge man claims $1 million lottery scratch-off prize

A Woodridge man, whose daily routine includes stopping to buy a scratch-off Illinois Lottery ticket on his way home, will have a new address soon.

Jose Herrera won $1 million when he scratched a $250 million Cash Spectacular instant ticket. He's been a regular player for three years.

Herrera's wife said she was concerned as the color rushed from his face after he scratched the ticket.

"He came out of his room with the ticket. He was so pale, and said, 'I don't know if I should cry.' At first, I thought someone had passed away," she said in a written statement. "Then he said, 'No, we won a million!' But he said it in Spanish, and I misunderstood. I thought he said a thousand. But then he repeated himself, and I realized it was a million."

The couple told lottery officials that they hope to use the money to purchase a house.

Herrera purchased his winning ticket at Convenient Food Mart, 8290 S. Janes Ave., in Woodridge. The retailer received a bonus of $10,000, or 1% of the prize amount.

The $250 Million Cash Spectacular is a $10 instant ticket that features 30 top prizes of $1 million. Officials say three of those remain unclaimed.

Neither Herrera nor the convenience store management were immediately available for comment Thursday.