April 16, 2010 -- Jennifer Sabia of Naugatuck, and her husband Joe, do not believe in coincidences; they feel that everything happens for a reason. If not for accidentally leaving her checkbook at home, Jennifer may never have made the stop at a nearby convenience store to purchase a $100,000,000 Diamond Mine instant ticket from the CT Lottery. When her ticket contained a matching pair of 29’s, Sabia beat the dazzling display of odds by winning $200,000--the game’s second highest prize, just short of the $1,000,000 top prize.

“While driving to the supermarket, I realized I forgot my checkbook at home,” said Sabia. En route to retrieve it, Sabia decided to stop at a 7-Eleven to buy a scratch ticket. “When I saw the pair of 29’s and $200,000 prize on the ticket I thought…no way!” She brought the winning ticket back home and showed it to her son; he thought it was a joke. Sharing her incredible news with her husband on the phone, she was met with total disbelief. So she drove to where Joe works and showed him the ticket when he finally exclaimed, “I can’t believe it!”

The Sabia’s arrived at lottery headquarters together to claim a prize check for $137,003 (value after taxes). With retirement not too far off in the future, the Sabia’s will now be able to comfortably build a new home in Vermont ahead of schedule. “We’ll be able to build the house sooner now rather than later,” said Sabia with a sparkle in her eye. Their plans also include investing for their grandchildren’s college education.

For selling Sabia her winning ticket, 7-Eleven Store located at 801 Rubber Avenue in Naugatuck will receive a $2,000 bonus check from the CT Lottery.