19-Year-Old Gaston Man Wins Powerball

COLUMBIA (WLTX, AP) -- The Powerball Jackpot winner is a 19-year-old construction worker from Gaston.Jonathan Vargas came forward Monday afternoon to claim his prize. Vargas matched all six numbers to win the $35 million jackpot. He decided to take the lump-sum of $17.5 million.The first thing he'll do now that he's a jackpot winner?"I don't know, probably play some video games," Vargas said in a Monday news conference.He's a construction worker, and says this was the first time he'd ever played Powerball."It's a lot of mixed emotions, feelings...scary, exciting, still shocking," Vargas says. Officials say Raceway 6747 in West Columbia was the store that sold the winning ticket. It's located at 2839 Charleston Highway."I was feeling lucky, plus I had to get for gas," he says. He says he chose the numbers based on family members. He says he heard the numbers in his head, and says he had a feeling from God that he should play. He says he wrote the numbers on a napkin, that now hangs on his wall in his home."You never ask why you were blessed, you don't question that," he says. Vargas says now that he's the winner, he feels a little scared, but mainly excited. Richardson, on the other hand, is overwhelmed."Wherever my mother wants to go," Vargas says, "I'll take her there."He got the numbers confirmed when he watch the drawing live on WLTX on Saturday night.Vargas says he plans to buy his mother, Patricia Richardson, a home, and then he wants to invest. He says his aunt is an accountant, so she's helping him out."A lot of people go retarded with that kind of money," Vargas said, "But God has a plan for me. I have faith."A second lucky ticket sold in Honea Path, matched all five white balls in Saturday night's drawing, but missed the Powerball number. That ticket also had the Power Play option, tripling the prize to $600,000. The numbers drawn Saturday were: 12-14-15-21-43, Powerball: 30. The Power Play was three. Tickets sold in Minnesota, New Hampshire and Rhode Island also matched the first five numbers, but missed the Powerball, for a $200,000 win. Powerball is played in 29 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The record jackpot was $365 million won by eight workers at a Nebraska meatpacking plant in February 2006.