O.W. man, Bz. City woman split Lotto jackpot
They’ve been playing the game for less than a year, but tonight a man and a woman from Orange Walk and Belize City share more than just a love of lotto… they are both winners of this weekend’s one hundred and seventeen thousand, five hundred dollar jackpot. Emilio Baeza and Vanessa Henry claimed their share of the prize money this afternoon during brief ceremonies at the Lotto headquarters in Belize City. They told News 5’s Patrick Jones that they each arrived at the winning numbers using different methods.
Emilio Baeza, $117,500 Lotto Winner
“I started buying lotto from last year August when my baby was born. She gave me the numbers in a dream, so I had to continue buying it every Wednesday and Saturday.”
Patrick Jones
“What do you plan on doing with this money?”
Emilio Baeza
“Well for right now, start anew. I live with my parents right now; trying to buy a land, build a little house for me and my wife and my child.”
Patrick Jones
“And will you continue playing lotto?”
Emilio Baeza
“Yes, sir I will.”
Vanessa Henry, $117,500 Lotto Winner
“Well I have my nieces and nephews and I decided to add all of their ages and so I get the numbers… So when they told me about the number, I run in my room and I take out the numbers. And the same time when take out the number I fell on the ground, I say, “thank you Lord, thank you Lord, you answered my prayer.” And so thank God for everything he has done for me.”
“I decide to build a house for my father and put in my baby’s bank book and things like that. Most of all help my brothers and sisters with it.”
After taxes, Baeza and Henry each took home forty-nine thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven dollars and fifty cents. The next jackpot is for fifty thousand dollars and will be drawn on Wednesday night.
