Former Chargers tight end Antonio Gates and his wife are suing AIG Property Casualty Co., alleging the insurer breached a contract to compensate them for a nearly $1 million burglary at their Encino home.
The 40-year-old Gates and his spouse, television personality Sasha Gates, brought the suit Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
They seek unspecified compensatory and punitive damages related to the 2018 incident.
An AIG representative could not be reached for a response.
The Gates home, built in 2016 with six bedrooms, nine bathrooms and more than 8,500 square feet, was burglarized on Dec. 2, 2018, as Sasha and the couple’s children slept inside, the suit states.
Gates, who played for both the San Diego and Los Angeles Chargers, was away at work during the weeks before and after the burglary, according to the suit.
Neither his wife nor her children were hurt, the suit states. She called Los Angeles police, who took the residence’s security video and saw at least two people casually entering through the front garage door, the suit states.
In the ensuing months, the Gates determined the burglars stole a significant amount of their personal property, including designer clothing, shoes, purses, jackets, artwork and sports memorabilia, according to the suit.
They believe the same people previously victimized them and that the garage door was manipulated to allow for these prior intrusions, the suit states.
In total, more than $900,000 worth of personal property was taken, the suit states.
The Gates were insured with AIG under a policy in effect from July 2018 to July 2019 and they reported the burglary shortly after it occurred, the suit states.
But rather than pay, AIG has “engaged in a two-year plus investigation with no discernible end,” the suit alleges.
AIG has conducted multiple interviews and site inspections and searched the Gates’ entire home and belongings, including their undergarments, the suit states.
“Despite the extensive investigation and severe invasions of privacy, AIG refuses to provide coverage for the claim or timely respond to the claim,” the suit states.
Gates was named to the Pro Bowl eight times and was a five-time All-Pro selection. He retired in January 2020 after 16 years with the Chargers.
Sasha Gates was a cast member on “Wags.” The reality TV show documented the lives of spouses of professional athletes, from 2015-17. She appeared in the film “Kinky” in 2019.
– City News Service