Photo: Marlon Coronado, who won the Guaranteed $1 million on Wednesday’s 649 draw. Photo: BCLC
When Marlon Coronado turned up at his wife’s north Richmond office unexpectedly on Thursday lunchtime and asked to speak to her privately outside, she feared the worst.
But Ronalyn Coronado’s concerns that something bad had happened to their 13-year-old daughter evaporated the second her husband pulled out a lottery ticket and scanned it against an app on his phone.
The message on the phone read, “You’ve won $1 million and a free play.”
“I couldn’t believe it,” said 38-year-old Ronalyn.
“I went back into the office and asked my manager if I could have a half day. I just said it was a family emergency. I almost cried, but it was too surreal.”
Marlon, who celebrated his 36th birthday on Tuesday, won BCLC’s Lotto 6/49 $1 million Guaranteed Prize Draw on Wednesday.
“Of course, I’m very happy,” he told the Richmond News on Thursday afternoon.
“But I have to keep my blood pressure down, as I’m diabetic.”
Marlon, who works as a night audit at a local hotel, said he only checked the ticket on the app around 1 p.m. today, while at home alone, with the family dog, Martial.
“I checked the barcode several times. I did cry a bit,” he added.
“I calmed myself down and went to the car to drive to my wife’s office nearby on Viking Way.”
The couple, originally from the Philippines, are going to stash their $1 million into a savings account for now, to give them time to process the win.
But a trip back home to see Ronalyn’s sick dad is high on the agenda, as well as buying a family home in Richmond.
