A family in Central Florida is hoping to recover sentimental belongings after a storage unit containing the items was sold at auction in Lakeland. The storage unit belonged to the family of Maritza Ramirez Cruz, who was tragically murdered in 2011 by a woman who cut out her unborn child to pass off as her own.

A Family’s Plea

The family, including Cruz’s husband, Christian Mercado Soto, and their daughter, Marian Mercado Ramirez, had kept the storage unit at Space Shop Self Storage off E. Memorial Boulevard in Lakeland. The unit contained photographs, baby blankets, and other belongings belonging to Cruz and the couple’s unborn son.

Mercado Soto expressed his devastation at losing the belongings, stating, ‘That was the only thing that I had left from my wife, so it’s like pretty much I lost completely my wife and my son, because now I don’t have no memories from them.’

The family was planning to transport the belongings back to Milwaukee but had not been able to come up with the money to do so. Mercado Soto said another person was supposed to be making payments on the storage unit, but he wasn’t aware the last payment had been made in April. He later learned the unit’s contents had been sold at auction at the end of July.

Mercado Soto contacted the storage facility after the items were sold, but he was told there wasn’t much the company could do. The family then made a plea on social media in hopes of reaching the buyer.

After speaking with the family, the storage facility’s president, Cliff Hite, responded with a statement saying, ‘Our team was able to contact the buyer of the unit and share the family’s contact information and request. The buyer indicated that they may still have some of the items the family is looking for, and we are hopeful the two parties are able to connect directly.’

Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.