In a devastating turn of events, Hall of Fame tennis player Pam Shriver has revealed that her car containing priceless tennis trophies was stolen after she evacuated her home due to the raging Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. The shocking theft compounds the hardship faced by Shriver and her family amid the wildfire crisis.
Trophies Stolen During Fire Evacuation
Shriver, who is also an ESPN tennis analyst, had temporarily relocated to the Marina del Rey DoubleTree hotel with her family, housekeeper, and pets on Tuesday, Jan. 7, when the Palisades flames first erupted. She discovered her Dodge Durango Hellcat missing from the hotel parking lot around 7:30 a.m. on Thursday morning.
The vehicle contained an irreplaceable collection of Shriver’s tennis accolades, including:
- Five U.S. Open trophies
- Five French Open plates
- Five Wimbledon trophies
- One Australian Open trophy
“I was just starting to take things out to pack them in the car, and I was like, ‘Where’s the car?'”
– Pam Shriver, tennis legend
Adding to the loss, the stolen Dodge also held cherished family photos. A passerby found some of the photos discarded in South LA later that morning and contacted the photographer listed on the back to return them. However, the trophies and remaining contents of the vehicle are still missing.
Shriver Files Police Report
Shriver and her son promptly went to file a police report about the theft. Detectives are currently searching for the stolen vehicle. Shriver’s Brentwood home was spared from the blaze, but remains without heat and power. She and her family have relocated to another hotel as the investigation unfolds.
“Now, my family’s a victim of a crime, too. It’s really sad on so many levels that when people are at their lowest and in their most difficult times, people are doing things like this.”
– Pam Shriver on the painful loss
Looting Compounds Wildfire Tragedy
Shriver expressed dismay at the looting that has taken place in the chaotic aftermath of the Palisades Fire. The theft of her car and tennis memorabilia is yet another cruel blow to families already grappling with evacuation and the threat of losing their homes to the relentless flames.
As one of the most accomplished doubles players in tennis history, Pam Shriver’s stolen trophies represent decades of hard work and achievement at the sport’s most prestigious tournaments. While the loss of these irreplaceable items is heartbreaking, Shriver remains grateful that her family and home survived the LA fires.
The tennis community has rallied around Shriver in the wake of this upsetting news, offering support and hoping for the safe recovery of her car and cherished tennis trophies. The theft is a painful reminder of the vulnerability communities face when already dealing with a devastating crisis like the Palisades wildfire.
