Carmen was last seen with her husband, Diego Garcia, and their daughter, Barbara Burhans, in Los Angeles, California on March 15, 1982. The family departed from their residence in their vehicle during the day and have never been heard from again. The family's car was discovered at the bottom of a gorge in the San Gabriel Mountains on April 27, 1982, more than one month after they disappeared. There was no sign of the Garcias or Burhans at the scene. Their cases remain unsolved.