INSIDE More Pacific Palisades Residents Join Lawsuit Against L.A. Over City’s Fire Response smmirror.com
March 14 - March 20, 2025 Volume CXXIII Issue 214
See Page 4
Palisades Fire Evacuee Identified as Woman Found Dead on Santa Monica Beach The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner later determined her cause of death to be blunt force head trauma
Authorities have identified the woman found dead near a lifeguard tower on Santa Monica Beach last month as 33-year-old Tianna Thomas, a Georgia native who had recently relocated to Los Angeles, KCAL reported. The Santa Monica Police Department continues to investigate the case as a homicide but has yet to identify a suspect. Thomas’ body was discovered on the morning of February 10 by a beach maintenance worker near Lifeguard Tower 1550. She was found inside a sleeping bag
with visible trauma to her face. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner later determined her cause of death to be blunt force head trauma and ruled it a homicide, KCAL reported. Originally from Atlanta, Thomas had moved to Los Angeles in recent years. According to a GoFundMe campaign started by her sister, Kiara Porter, Thomas was known for her adventurous spirit and love of travel. She had also been affected by the recent Pacific Palisades wildfires, forcing her to seek shelter after evacuating from the area, according to KCAL. “My sister was a very outgoing person who loved to travel, help out communities, and give back to those in need,” Porter wrote in the fundraiser, which seeks to raise funds to transport Thomas’ body back to Georgia for burial. “I never thought I would have to write a GoFundMe for any of my siblings. I’m devastated and don’t know what else to do.” The SMPD has not yet identified any suspects in Thomas’ killing and has urged anyone with information to come forward.
Cat Rescued From Palisades Fire Gets Outpouring of Support for Medical Recovery The cat was found two months after the fire, emaciated and suffering from burns
A cat that survived for weeks in the rubble of the devastating Palisades Fire is receiving critical veterinary care as donations pour in to support her recovery. Aggie, a five-year-old Maine coon, was feared dead after the wildfire swept through Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, destroying her owner’s home. According to AP News, the cat was miraculously found two months later, emaciated and suffering from burns. Her owner, 82-year-old Katherine Kiefer, was reunited with Aggie at the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter in an emotional moment that quickly went viral on social media. A GoFundMe campaign launched to cover Aggie’s medical expenses has raised more than $24,000 as of Tuesday, surpassing its initial $20,000 goal. The fundraiser, organized by Kiefer’s daughter, Carolyn Kiefer, describes Aggie’s
harrowing survival. “She was living in the ash and ruins, always staying close to home. She is skin and bone, has some signs of burns, has had one blood transfusion and is needing additional medical attention before she can come home,” the fundraiser states. “This fund is to help with Aggie’s veterinary
bills. Extra funds will be donated to local shelters.” Aggie has undergone multiple blood transfusions and is being treated by a specialist, according to AP News. The family expects her to be released from the hospital on Thursday. Kiefer, who had received Aggie as a gift
during the COVID-19 pandemic, told AP News she is anxiously awaiting her cat’s return. “Don’t underestimate cats,” she said. The GoFundMe page for Aggie’s recovery can be found at: https://www. gofundme.com/f/support-aggies-medicalrecovery.