Perhaps you heard about the young woman who was kidnapped and murdered last week in Spring. It was a terrible, senseless tragedy. This violent act has caused immeasurable pain to her husband, her family and all those who knew her. And it hurt everyone in her community, even if they never met her. Last week I received numerous e-mails from my friends in the area reminding women to be ever-vigilant as they go about their daily errands. A friend of mine told me how she went shopping at Kohl's where Sabrina was kidnapped, and she told me how she ran from her car into the store. This is one small illustration of how this crime hurt us all.
I learned that Sabrina was missing the day after she first disappeared. Sunday morning my family and I went to church, and on our way home we stopped by Petsmart to get hamster supplies. Taped to the front door was a "missing" poster that stopped me in my tracks. The smiling young woman wearing cute glasses was my client a couple of years ago. She and her husband, Edward, hired me to photograph their wedding. Over the course of photographing their engagement session in Austin, Sabrina's bridal session in my studio, their wedding, and several meetings to select portraits and design their wedding album, I had come to know them both. They were smart, funny, caring, hard-working young people who should have had nothing but happiness and prosperity ahead of them. It was a privilege to get to know them both. My prayers go out to Sabrina, Edward, and their families and friends. A fund has been established in Sabrina's name in the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to provide scholarships to youth retreats, as Sabrina was active in various youth ministries. When I have the direct link I will post it here. Here are a few more images of Sabrina and Edward from the time we spent together. Below the images I have reprinted more information about Sabrina's life that was included in her funeral mass.
Sabrina graduated with honors from Klein High School in the year 2000 and attended The University of Texas Austin graduating in 2004 earning a B.S. degree in Biology. She was an active member of Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority and instrumental in starting a new colony at Texas Southern University in Houston. Shortly after graduating, Sabrina met the love of her life, husband Edward Pina, and the two wed in Holy Matrimony October 28, 2006 at Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Spring, Texas.
Sabrina worked as a commercial Marketing Representative for TXU Energy. She was passionate about her work and cared deeply about her co-workers.
Throughout her life, Sabrina remained an active participant in various youth ministries, retreats and charitable fundraising events. Her hobbies included cooking, fishing with Mom and Dad, Salsa dancing, and working out at the local gym with husband Edward. The two were inseparable and enjoyed frequenting numerous restaurants in the Tomball and Spring area, dining and socializing with their friends and co-workers, and sipping gourmet coffee, or Chai Tea, at their local Starbuck's.
Sabrina deeply loved her husband, family, and friends and will be dearly missed by all.
