The winner of the $26 million jackpot washed her winning ticket in the laundry

A U.S. resident claims to be the winner of a big $26 million California lottery jackpot. However, she has no proof, because she washed her winning SuperLotto Plus ticket in the laundry. The American woman bought it at a convenience store in Norwalk, a suburb of Los Angeles.

As it turned out, the woman had actually purchased a lottery ticket, as recorded by surveillance cameras.

The lottery organizers stated that they had recorded jackpot winnings in this drawing, which took place back on November 14. It must be redeemed within 180. But the deadline for claiming the prize ended on Thursday, May 13.

Esperanza Hernandez, an employee of the Norwalk store, told the Whittier Daily News of California that a woman came to her on Wednesday. She claimed to have won a large jackpot, but was unable to prove it because she accidentally put the lucky ticket in the wash.

Lottery spokeswoman Cathy Johnston said footage from the store would not be enough to substantiate the woman’s claim. It requires “convincing substantial evidence that the ticket was actually in the person’s possession.”

Nevertheless, a copy of the camera footage was given to the organizers. According to Johnston, this claim will be investigated further.

If there is no recognized jackpot winner, the money will be distributed to California public schools, SuperLotto Plus organizers said in a statement. That said, the retailer who sold the winning ticket received $130,000 in standard lottery procedure.

According to the Los Angeles Times, citing verified sources, it is extremely rare for owners of winning tickets in the California lottery to fail to make contact.

Recall that an Alaskan resident hit a jackpot of more than $2 million with a $40 bet.