Las Cruces woman robbed of memories a day after boyfriend’s death

Only a day after a Las Cruces woman lost her boyfriend to cancer, her heart was broken all over again.

When Cristina Armstrong returned home, she learned someone had robbed her trailer on San Pablo Road, stealing nearly everything that belonged to her beloved boyfriend of six years, Adam Garcia.

“He was really full of live, love and bravery,” Armstrong said of Garcia.

Garcia, a father, brother and son, died of cancer on February 28, 2018. Armstrong said he endured a “world of battles” since being diagnosed in 2013. After buying the trailer, the two were planning to get married in June.

“He was the most selfless person and the strongest, bravest person I know,” Armstrong said. “We were doing everything right.”

While Armstrong was in the hospital during his final moments, someone stole his phone, which had his final memories of her family. The person also ransacked her home, stealing multiple items and tossing his last pair of pants in a heap on the floor.

“These things are the last things they touched,” Armstrong said. “Somebody trampled through my sacred spot.”

While Armstrong also lost many expensive material items in the burglary, she told ABC-7 she would leave every item for the final photos on her boyfriend’s phone.

“It’s made it impossible to even try and move on,” Armstrong said.

The mother said she doesn’t care about pressing charges or recovering the items of value; she just wants the memory cards back.

“I beg anybody to return them to the police station, to the post office, to my job,” she said.

Armstrong works at Lorenzo’s on University Avenue. She currently has a GoFundMe for the funeral and burglary expenses, but she said she would gladly trade all the money to retrieve her memories.

“I would give every dime to whoever gives me any information that leads to the memories getting returned,” Armstrong said.