 Kelsin Hernandez Orellana of Columbia received an early birthday present — a $30,000 Loteria scratch-off prize! |
Columbia resident celebrating 20th birthday with $30,000 scratch-off prize
A Maryland Lottery Loteria scratch-off purchased during a work break turned into a $30,000 early birthday surprise for a happy Kelsin Hernandez Orellana.
The 19-year-old Columbia resident was on a break from his job at Freight Handlers Inc. in Jessup when he bought the top-prize winning ticket for $3 at Royal Farms #085 in Columbia.
“I had $3 cash and I’ve played [Loteria] before,” Kelsin said.
After returning to his work site, he scratched the ticket and realized he won – but how much?
“I tried to figure it out for two days,” said the Howard County man. “I showed it to five different people. Then I took it to a store where I used to work and asked my [former] manager and found out. I was surprised. I couldn’t believe it! I called my mom and dad. They were surprised, too. I’m still in shock.”
Kelsin plans to send some money to his grandparents in Honduras and hopes to use some of it to start a restaurant that serves “good Spanish food.”
For selling the winning ticket, Royal Farms #085 located at 8755 Center Park Drive will receive a $300 bonus from the Lottery. The Loteria game was launched Feb. 23 and two of its five $30,000 top prizes are still unclaimed. There also are 284 $600 prize-winning scratch-offs in stores awaiting discovery.