Teen traveling through Albuquerque has car broken into, everything stolen

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Like many I-40 travelers, Sofia Stewart wanted to spend the night in Albuquerque before the next leg of her cross-country trip. However, a nice visit with her brother quickly turned into a nightmare.

Sofia said she walked out to her car the next morning to see her stuff scattered around her car.

It’s a feeling that’s all too common in Albuquerque – travelers are targeted and robbed of all their possessions.

Sofia is originally from New Mexico but has been living in Utah. She downsized in preparation for a summer of white water raft guiding in Tennessee, and she thought she’d done enough to protect her car.

"So we parked my car in the gates because of a concern that someone would try to touch my car seeing that it has all this stuff in it," she said.

Her car was parked at The Villa Apartments on Cardenas Drive, and that’s where security footage shows a man rifling through her car; stealing thousands of dollars of gear.

He took all her possessions, which is everything she has to her name right now.

The thief even took her social security card and her medicine.

A day later, she’s come to terms with what happened to her but wants to warn others.

"Take everything in with you don’t leave your car with anything that you care about,” she said.

Sofia has filed a police report with the Albuquerque Police Department and has also set up a GoFundMe for donations.