Calif. couple who bought 1 of 3 winning Powerball tickets in $1.6B drawing claim prize

LOS ANGELES -- The mystery winners have finally come forward. California Lottery officials announced Tuesday that a couple who purchased one of three tickets that won a share of the nearly $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot has come forward.

Officials said Marvin and Mae Acosta of Eastvale claimed their $528.8 million prize on Friday at the Van Nuys district lottery office, a little more than six months after winning the Jan. 13 Powerball.

Officials said in a press release that the Acostas did exactly what they tell their winners to do: "They read our Winner's Handbook and then assembled a team of legal and financial advisors to help them make the most of this windfall and prepare them for their new life as lottery winners."

The Riverside County couple has opted to take the cash option amount of $327.8 million before federal taxes.

"We are thankful and blessed for the rare gift that has been placed in our care," the Acostas said in a statement. "While many decisions are still to be made, we have committed nearly all of this new resource to a Trust and to charities that are important to us. While we are very grateful for the wonderful wishes and encouragement we've received, it is not our intention to become public figures, and we ask for and appreciate privacy going forward."

A neighbor said last Friday a moving van pulled up to the Acosta home, and the couple left without a word about where they were going or their lottery winnings.

"They hid it pretty well. They haven't mentioned it to us," said neighbor Rodrigo Jimenez, Jr.

The final total for the jackpot was $1,586,400,000 with a cash value of $938,500,000, according to the Texas lottery.

The record-breaking ticket was sold at the 7-Eleven located at 4092 Chino Hills Pkwy. The store received a $1 million bonus for selling the ticket.

The two other winners of the Powerball jackpot were in Florida and Tennessee.