Couple who bought winning Powerball ticket in Chino Hills come forward

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- 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 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.

Property records show a couple with the same names purchased a 5-bedroom home for $475,000 last fall in Eastvale, a community about 10 miles from the 7-Eleven where the winning ticket was purchased. A neighbor said the couple who lived there had two children. Public records showed that Marvin Acosta is 39 years old and Mae Acosta is 40.

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.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.