Thursday was the last day to redeem it.
Avid lottery players in Norwalk were surprised to hear about the mishap.
“It is possible that maybe they lost the ticket and did not even realize it. A lot of people buy their tickets and put them in the bag, and they don't even realize that they won the lottery," Arturo Vázquez, who plays the lottery, said.
Sergio Vázquez, who won a $100,000 prize in 2013, says he made sure "the ticket was secure."
What should you do to prevent this from happening to you? The California Lottery recommends that you keep proof of the ticket.