A theft continued a string of terrible luck for an elderly disabled veteran who has called Santa Monica his lifelong home.
On July 21, a 1997 Ford Explorer belonging to 77-year-old Larry Shaw Sr. was stolen from his carport in the Pico neighborhood, along with his mobility scooter and other items within the vehicle. Shaw had recently returned home from surgery on his hip, and his unemployment status has made it "impossible for him to replace these items on his own," according to the partner of Shaw’s son, Lindsay Green.
"His (roommate) went outside to let the dog out, the dog was going crazy … she noticed that the car was gone and immediately ran upstairs [to] call the police," Green said.
After being left on hold for hours and having no luck on police contact the following day, Shaw was eventually wheeled into the Santa Monica Police Department station to file a report on the theft. The situation could not be helped by law enforcement, leading Green to start a GoFundMe online fundraising campaign to rectify the lost items.
"Police are no longer investigating these things … there could have been somebody that came out [and] have pulled CCTV, some sort of camera footage," Green added. "It’s kind of behind restaurants where his [car was stolen], and there was no effort being made whatsoever."
A lifelong resident, Shaw attended Saint Monica Preparatory and served in the United States Army before returning to Santa Monica. Recently relocating near Green and his son Larry, who live on 32nd and Pico, his time as a plumber in the area took a toll on his knees, with surgery scheduled on both of them. After completing surgery on the first knee, the day of the second surgery brought another moment of bad luck, as Shaw slipped while getting into his vehicle and broke his hip.
The hip surgery was completed before the theft, with the second knee surgery still on the horizon after the latest delay. Having previously fought through stage four colon cancer, Green said he is "somebody who perseveres" and is "willing to fight the fight."
"He’s an amazing guy, somebody who speaks to everybody, loves to converse with everybody," Green added. "He’s the type of guy who you will be seeing cracking jokes … he definitely knows the ins and outs of Santa Monica and he loves Santa Monica. Overall, he’s just a fun loving guy who has a great attitude."
While Green has been doing her own investigations into the theft, canvassing neighborhoods and online marketplaces for its whereabouts, she also began the GoFundMe for financial donations as well as sending feelers for those who may have a used car or scooter that Shaw can have. Along with the car that helps with getting to appointments and taking care of basic needs, the scooter and stolen items such as fishing poles brought out "the joy in his overall life" via fishing trips to the Pier.
The campaign, which has raised $1,975 of a $6,800 goal as of Monday, has "brought light through his eyes" as Green tells it, with the veteran "humbled" by the outreach.
"He’s keeping an open mind and he’s definitely trying to keep his spirits up," Green said.
Green said the campaign has "restored" her "faith in humanity," both from those the family knows to generous anonymous donations.
"The community has pulled together and really been amazing in helping to donate … people who we don’t know have donated very nice, substantial amounts, and people who couldn’t really donate [much] even donated a little bit as well," she said. "Knowing that people are here to support is amazing, because unfortunately there’s not much else we can do. We are in no financial position to be able to recover that on our own … [but] it’s been real great knowing that people are there to support, [it] means everything.
To donate to Shaw’s GoFundMe page, visit the website here.
thomas@smdp.com
