Woman, 85, Died in Her Car After Ignoring Calls to Evacuate L.A. Home Because She Didn't Want to Leave Pets Behind

Mar. 15, 2025

Annette Rossilli.Photo:Luxe Homecare

Luxe Homecare

An 85-year-old mother and devoted pet owner is among the victims of thefires in Los Angeles.Annette Rossilli, a longtime resident of Pacific Palisades, died in her car after declining to evacuate from her home, theLos Angeles Timesreported.Numerous people — including her caregiver and neighbors, tried to persuade Rossilli to leave — but she wanted to stay with her pets, which included a dog named Greetly, a canary named Pepper, two parrots and a turtle, according toCNN.“We could’ve easily taken them with us,” Fay Vahdani, the owner of the home healthcare agency that provided thrice-weekly care for Rossilli, told theTimes. “The problem is you can never force anyone to do anything. It was her choice.”Rossilli, the mother of a son and a daughter who both live out of state, ran a plumbing business with her late husband, according to the newspaper.Vahdani said the last time she saw Rossilli was late last month when she delivered the woman holiday cookies.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“She was such a sweet little lady, very pleasant, full of life,” Vahdani said.Rossilli had some mobility issues, she added.“She must’ve [had] such a bad frustration that she was able to manage, come down the stairs and get to the car, but she couldn’t drive away,” Vahdani said.Firefighters found her body on Wednesday, Jan. 8.Rossilli is among 24 people who have lost their lives in the fires, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department said, as of Monday, Jan. 13.PEOPLE reached out to the home healthcare agency for comment on Tuesday, Jan. 14.Click hereto learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.

An 85-year-old mother and devoted pet owner is among the victims of thefires in Los Angeles.

Annette Rossilli, a longtime resident of Pacific Palisades, died in her car after declining to evacuate from her home, theLos Angeles Timesreported.

Numerous people — including her caregiver and neighbors, tried to persuade Rossilli to leave — but she wanted to stay with her pets, which included a dog named Greetly, a canary named Pepper, two parrots and a turtle, according toCNN.

“We could’ve easily taken them with us,” Fay Vahdani, the owner of the home healthcare agency that provided thrice-weekly care for Rossilli, told theTimes. “The problem is you can never force anyone to do anything. It was her choice.”

Rossilli, the mother of a son and a daughter who both live out of state, ran a plumbing business with her late husband, according to the newspaper.

Vahdani said the last time she saw Rossilli was late last month when she delivered the woman holiday cookies.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“She was such a sweet little lady, very pleasant, full of life,” Vahdani said.

Rossilli had some mobility issues, she added.

“She must’ve [had] such a bad frustration that she was able to manage, come down the stairs and get to the car, but she couldn’t drive away,” Vahdani said.

Firefighters found her body on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

Rossilli is among 24 people who have lost their lives in the fires, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department said, as of Monday, Jan. 13.

PEOPLE reached out to the home healthcare agency for comment on Tuesday, Jan. 14.

Click hereto learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.

source: people.com