Veguita man wins big in lottery

Danny Garcia, of Veguita, claimed a $1 million Mega Millions prize from the New Mexico Lottery this week.

Courtesy of New Mexico Lottery: Danny Garcia, a Veguita resident, won $1 million in the Mega Millions drawing this week.

Danny Garcia, of Veguita, claimed a $1 million Mega Millions prize from the New Mexico Lottery this week.

Garcia, 52, discovered the $1 million prize after arriving at his job in the parts department at Bob Turner’s Ford Country in Albuquerque. He called the lottery’s telephone hotline, wrote down the winning numbers and compared them to the ticket in his wallet.

“I could feel my heart beating,” he said. “I started shaking.”

His co-workers told him to waste no time getting his $1 million prize.

“Everybody was saying, ‘Get out of here,’” Garcia recalled.

Garcia’s quick-pick ticket matched the white ball numbers of 37, 39, 42, 53 and 55 in Tuesday night’s drawing.

Matching five white balls pays $250,000, but Garcia spent an extra $1 on the game’s Megaplier feature to multiply non-jackpot prizes. Megaplier increased his $250,000 prize to $1 million automatically.

“I always play with Megaplier because, if you only get a few numbers, it will multiply your prize,” he said.

As a newly minted millionaire, Garcia’s plans include helping his three sons, creating trust funds for his grandchildren and making donations to his church.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the good Lord,” he said.

Garcia, who missed the yellow Mega Ball of 22 to land the night’s $14 million jackpot, bought his lucky ticket at Young Baca’s Kicks 66 in Belen.

Young Baca’s Kicks 66 has sold six other large prize-winning lottery tickets paying between $1,000 and $160,000.

Garcia is the winner of New Mexico’s fifth prize of $1 million or more this year.