Engaged Arkansas couple surprised with $75,000 lottery win

Demetrius Harper and ShaQuondra Steele
Demetrius Harper and ShaQuondra Steele

An engaged Hot Springs couple thought they were being pranked when they drove to Little Rock to claim a lottery prize Monday morning and were awarded a $75,000 check, officials said.

When Demetrius Harper and ShaQuondra Steele took their winning 10X Bonus! Crossword ticket to the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery’s Claim Center in Little Rock, the pair thought they had won only $1,000, according to a news release by lottery officials.

Harper and Steele didn’t discover how much they were off until officials presented them with a check for $75,000.

“Are we getting punked?” said Harper, whose birthday was also Monday. “I know there has to be a camera somewhere.”

The couple has four children and plan to use the winnings to get married, pay bills, make a down payment on a new home and go on vacation.

Steele said they play the lottery often and that, when the couple previously won $800, one of their daughters said she couldn’t wait for the family to move into a new home.

“Her dream is now reality,” he said.

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