Sabrina Tolentino Pina 27, (Found Deceased) Msg 02/21/09, Houston TX SUSPECT ARRESTED

[sarahhod]

Police investigate disappearance of 27-year-old woman

12:07 PM CST on Sunday, February 22, 2009

KHOU.com staff report


HOUSTON – A young woman has reportedly disappeared from a Houston shopping center parking lot.
http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/M_IMAGE.11f5fb26346.93.88.fa.d0.3f7831af.jpg



27-year-old Sabrina Tolentino Pina was last heard from around noon on Saturday.

According to the victim’s mother, 27-year-old Sabrina Tolentino Pina was last heard from around noon on Saturday. Her family says she was shopping at Kohls on Highway 249 and Cypresswood, and had called her husband to say she was on her way home.
Pina’s vehicle was found parked in the back of the parking lot with her shopping bags still inside.
If you have any information regarding Pina’s disappearance, please contact the Houston Police Department.

http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou090222_mp_pina-disappearance.3f74cfb3.html

[Faith]

Woman's body found dumped in ditch

Sunday, February 22, 2009 | 6:13 PM

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A woman's body was found dumped in a ditch in far northwest Harris County.

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Investigators are trying to identify the body and figure out how it got there. The victim was found off Warren Ranch and Jack Road near the Waller County line.

Deputies say a passerby spotted the body around 7am Sunday. They tell us the woman was either a white or Hispanic woman in her 20s or 30s. They do not believe the body had been there very long.

They are calling this a homicide, saying they did find evidence of foul play. They do not know if she was killed at the ditch or dumped there later.

The woman's body has been taken to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy.

Law enforcement is paying close attention to reports of missing women in the area. Two women have gone missing in the Houston area in the last few weeks. One of them disappeared yesterday near Tomball.

Family and friends are passing out flyers Sunday looking for Sabrina Tolentino Pina. Investigators say she disappeared while running errands in northwest Harris County. Her husband last spoke with her just before noon Saturday. Her truck was found in a Kohl's parking lot off 249 and Spring Cypress with her bags still inside.

Pina's family is desperate to find her and her husband says it's not like her to be out of touch.

"I hope she's safe," said her husband Edward Pina. "We're working hard to get her back. All I care about is her safety."

"I didn't get any sleep last night, but you have to do what you have to do, when you love your kids," said Mary Helen Tolentino who is Sabrina Pina's mother.

Her family doesn't believe Sabrina actually went into the Kohl's store. They say there's some surveillance video from a nearby sonic restaurant, showing her pulling in for lunch. But, after that, there's been no contact with her. It's been almost three weeks since another Houston area woman went missing.

Susana De Jesus disappeared outside her job in Pearland back on February 2nd. Investigators say she was forced into her car at gunpoint. She hasn't been seen since. A man was later caught on camera, driving De Jesus's car. The car later turned up. That driver hasn't been found.

If you know anything about the previous cases give Crime Stoppers a call. The number is 713-222-TIPS. You don't have to give your name.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=6672388

[Faith]

Disappearance of 27 yr old woman from mall-Houston, TX

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll116/helpfindthemissing/HFTM/M.jpg

HI, I am a friend of this missing person ( I am in Austin, TX). This happened in Houston, TX, but I have not heard anything in the media, not local news or anything; and I think it is imperative to get the word out to hopefully have our friend back home safely soon..Please help us inform people of what is happening. Here is all the information that we have been given:

Our sorority sister, Sabrina Tolentino Pina, has been missing since February 22, 2009 from the Khols parking lot. She is now filed as a missing person with Harris County 4C92 Sheriff 8C09026626. Sabrina was shopping on Saturday, February 22 when she went missing. She was at the Target at 249/Louetta at 10 am and Lens Crafter on 249/ Spring Cypress, Case Harfters on 249 at 10:30 am, Home Depot at 249 between 11:00-11:30 am, and Sonic at 249/Spring Cypress at 1:30 pm after not returning home. Her vehicle was found at 8:30 pm in the Khols parking lot.
She was wearing a black long sleeved knit shirt, bluejeans, white Kole Hahn shoes and contacts at the time.

Sex: Female
Height: 5'3
Weight: 110
Eye Color: Brown
Dark Brown hair about shoulder length
Complexion Olive
DOB: Jan 28 1982

Please help get this information posted across all servers as well as your family, friends, and co-workers. As always keep their families in your prayers.
http://texasequusearch.org/2009/02/sabrina-pina-022109/
Thank you,
Siomara Jaramillo

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-218252

[Faith]

Sabrina Pina - Houston, TX - 02/21/09 (http://texasequusearch.org/2009/02/sabrina-pina-022109/)

Posted on 22. Feb, 2009 by B Tarr (http://texasequusearch.org/author/btarr/) in Active Cases (http://texasequusearch.org/category/missing/active/), Featured Articles (http://texasequusearch.org/category/featured-articles/), Missing Persons (http://texasequusearch.org/category/missing/)
Sunday 02/22/09 - 6:45pm - The search for Sabrina Pina has been suspended temporarily, until new information can be obtained. We ask that you continue to keep Sabrina and her loving family and friends in your thoughts and prayers during this time. We will post more information as it becomes available.
Sunday, 02/22/09 - 1:00 pm - Texas EquuSearch has established a Command Center to begin searching for 27 year old Sabrina Pina, missing since Saturday afternoon, February 21. Sabrina was last seen shopping at a shopping center located on Highway 249 and Cypresswood. TES is in need of searchers on foot and with ATV’s. Please come to the Command Center, located at the Windwood Presbyterian Church, 10555 Spring Cypress, Houston, TX as soon as possible. The Search Coordinator is Carol Moyers and she can be reached at 713-416-2477.
To view and print a Missing Person poster, please click here (http://texasequusearch.org/images/pdf/PinaSabrina.pdf)
http://texasequusearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/pinasabrina4.jpg27 year old Sabrina Pina



http://texasequusearch.org/2009/02/sabrina-pina-022109/

[Faith]

Police investigate disappearance of 27-year-old woman from mall

07:19 PM CST on Sunday, February 22, 2009

HOUSTON – A young woman has reportedly disappeared from a Houston shopping center parking lot.

According to the victim’s mother, 27-year-old Sabrina Tolentino Pina was last heard from around noon on Saturday.
"It runs through your mind that somebody has taken her. That’s because it's so out of the ordinary," said Sabrina's mother, Mary Helen Tolentino.
Details of Sabrina’s disappearance are fuzzy. She began her day with her husband by having breakfast at a nearby Starbucks and then went shopping.
Edward Pina says he last saw his wife at 9 a.m. He heard from her around noon, but when he got home later in the day, she wasn't there.
“I started feeling the vibe that something was wrong around 6 p.m. I called my father-in-law, and then I knew something was really wrong," said Edward.
As far as police can tell, Sabrina spent much of the day near State Highway 249. She stopped by a Target store around 10 a.m., a LensCrafters around 10:30 a.m. and then was at a Home Depot by 11 a.m.



She was last seen on surveillance video at a Sonic at 1:30 in the afternoon.
It was her father who found her black Nissan Frontier seven hours later in the parking lot of a nearby Kohl's.
“The scary part was that when we found her vehicle in the parking lot of the Kohl's, it was still full of shopping bags. And she was nowhere to be found," said the victim’s father, Rolando Tolentino.
Sabrina's family says they have no reason to suspect anything was wrong.
"Nobody was cross or mad at her," said Rolando.
"She is a very caring young woman. We just have to find her," said Mary Ellen.
Volunteers with Texas EquuSearch joined the search Sunday morning.
The family friend is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to Sabrina's safe return.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers, the Harris County Sheriff's Office or their local police department.



http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou090222_mp_pina-disappearance.3f74cfb3.html

[annalyzer]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6275761.html

Body in ditch may be missing woman's

27-year-old went missing while shopping in northwest Houston

By ANITA HASSAN
Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
Feb. 22, 2009, 9:02PM

Investigators are trying to determine whether a body found early Sunday in a ditch in northwest Harris County belongs to a 27-year-old woman who disappeared while shopping earlier this weekend.

A motorist spotted the remains of an unidentified woman around 7 a.m. on the side of the road at Jack Road near Warren Ranch Road.

The woman was described as a late Hispanic or white female in her late 20s to early 30s. She was wearing a black shirt, blue jeans, white and tan shoes and a white jacket with a hood, authorities said.

Investigators are looking into all possible leads as to the woman's identity, including missing person's reports, said Harris County Sheriff's spokesman Lt. John Legg.

"There have been no positive identification made at this time," he said.

Two women have been reported missing in the Houston area in recent days, including 27-year-old Sabrina Pina, who was last seen shopping at a Kohl's store at Highway 249 and Spring Cypress Saturday afternoon.

She was last seen wearing a black 3/4 length sleeve knit shirt, blue jeans and white leather Cole Haan tennis shoes.

Her car was found outside a Kohl's store on Highway 249 filled with shopping bags, according to the Texas Equusearch, which called off a their search efforts around 6:45 p.m. this evening, saying they were waiting for new information.

Authorities are also still searching for Susana De Jesus, who was kidnapped at gunpoint on Feb. 2 after she left work from a Pearland women's clothing store.

A man wearing a mask with a pistol forced her into her car and drove away while another person followed in a dark van or SUV.

An hour later, a man was photographed by a security camera at a Houston bank while he used De Jesus' card to withdraw cash from an ATM. The car was found the next morning in another Houston location, but De Jesus was not, authorities said.

Volunteers have suspended the ground search for the 37-year-old woman, but investigators were still working on the case.

[sarahhod]

Body in ditch may be missing woman's

27-year-old went missing while shopping in northwest Houston

By ANITA HASSAN and JENNIFER LATSON
Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

Feb. 22, 2009, 11:12PM


http://imagec14.247realmedia.com/RealMedia/ads/Creatives/default/empty.gif/0 (http://oascentral.chron.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/chron.com/news/houston/story/427363695/Position3/default/empty.gif/584f6f3463306d695935774144757535?x)


(http://www.chron.com/photos/2009/02/22/15407743/260xStory.jpg)
http://www.chron.com/photos/2009/02/22/15407743/260xStory.jpg
Family photo

Sabrina Pina's car was found outside a Kohl's store on Highway 249, searchers said.


http://images.chron.com/photos/2009/02/22/missing3/missing3.jpg


Sabrina Pina’s loved ones grasped to a sliver of hope on Sunday as they waited for the medical examiner to determine whether a body found in a northwest Harris County ditch belonged to the 27-year-old who vanished while shopping this weekend.
The Houston woman disappeared Saturday afternoon from a Kohl’s a few miles from her Spring home. Her parents found her pickup, filled with shopping bags, in the parking lot several hours later.
Early Sunday morning, the body of a woman was discovered about a 20-minute drive from the shopping center.
Sheriff’s deputies spoke with some of Pina’s relatives at her home Sunday night after dusting her truck for fingerprints. Her husband and parents met with homicide detectives downtown.
“I don’t know what to think,” said Jeffrey Armenta, one of Pina’s best friends, after speaking with deputies. “It was the middle of the day. She was four miles from home.”
Pina is the second woman to disappear from a Houston suburb in recent weeks. Police are still searching for 37-year-old Susana De Jesus, who was kidnapped three weeks ago in the parking lot of a Pearland women’s clothing store where she worked.
Family members said authorities confirmed Sunday that the body discovered in the ditch doesn’t belong to De Jesus.
Pina was running errands Saturday afternoon when she last spoke to her husband: She called him from Home Depot around noon to ask what kind of garbage disposal to buy. The new disposal remained in the back of her truck on Sunday.
Her family began to worry when Pina didn’t show up for a family function a few hours later, Armenta said. Pina is always prompt and reliable.
The Houston native graduated from Klein High School and the University of Texas. She works in marketing at TXU Energy and is active in her Catholic church, Armenta said.
Her parents went searching in the shopping center they knew she’d gone to; they found her car, along with a receipt that showed she had eaten at the Sonic across the street at 1:30 p.m. Although her shopping bags were still in the truck, her purse and cell phone were not.
Her husband, Edward Pina, knew something was terribly wrong when he saw the abandoned truck, Armenta said.
“When I got there, he couldn’t contain himself. He couldn’t really stand up,” Armenta said.
Close group of friends

Armenta and his wife, who grew up with Sabrina Tolentino Pina and works in the next cubicle at TXU Energy, spend every weekend with the Pinas. The men golf; the women get their nails done. The four of them are best friends, Armenta said.
Armenta and his wife were among the friends and family who spent a sleepless Saturday night printing fliers. They teamed up with Texas EquuSearch Sunday and fanned out from the Kohl’s, searching woods and brush for clues. Armenta helped search, despite feeling like he was in a daze.
“I noticed that, walking through the woods today, I thought, ‘What am I doing here? I can’t be looking for my best friend,”’ he said. “It’s hard to believe any of this is real.”
Ready for the worst

The medical examiner’s office expected to identify the body by this morning, Armenta said, but Pina’s family was already steeling themselves for the worst.
The body discovered at Jack Road near Warren Ranch Road seemed to match Pina’s description: that of a white or Hispanic woman in her late 20s to early 30s. She was wearing a black shirt, blue jeans, white and tan shoes and a white jacket with a hood, authorities said.
Looking into leads

Investigators are looking into all possible leads as to the woman’s identity, including missing person’s reports, said Harris County Sheriff’s spokesman Lt. John Legg.
“There (has) been no positive identification made at this time,” he said.
De Jesus’ sister Guilly Puente said they can empathize with the Pina family. Relatives and friends continue to search for De Jesus, who was leaving work on Feb. 2 when a man wearing a mask with a pistol forced her into her car.
An hour later, a man was photographed by a security camera at a Houston bank while he used De Jesus’ card to withdraw cash from an ATM. The car was found the next morning in another Houston location, but De Jesus was not, authorities said.
“We’re trying to put my sister’s face in as many people hands as possible,” Puente said. “I’m not giving up hope. I feel it in my heart that she’s still alive and she’s coming home to us soon.’”


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6275761.html

[sarahhod]

Search suspended for missing woman

07:46 AM CST on Monday, February 23, 2009

By Alex Sanz / 11 News

HOUSTON—Police suspended the search for a missing 27-year-old woman (http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou090222_mp_pina-disappearance.3f74cfb3.html) Sunday after a trucker found a body (http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou090222_mp_body-found_in_ditch.406144ec.html) in northwest Harris County.
Sabrina Tolentino Pina was last seen around 1:30 p.m. Saturday on surveillance video at a Sonic near State Highway 249.
Her father found her SUV abandoned in the parking lot of a nearby Kohl’s Saturday night.
“Scary part was we actually found her vehicle here in the parking lot of the Kohl’s, full of shopping bags, because she’d been shopping most of the day. And she was nowhere to be found, “ Pina’s father, Rolando Tolentino, said.
http://www.khou.com/news/local/crime/stories/M_IMAGE.11f5fb26346.93.88.fa.d0.3f7831af.jpg 11 News
27-year-old Sabrina Tolentino Pina was last heard from around noon on Saturday.

While authorities had yet to confirm whether the body was that of Pina, a source close to her family said they are highly suspicious that it is.
The body, found along Jack Road near Warren Ranch Road, is described as a white or Hispanic female in her 20s or 30s with a petite build.
The location of the body is about 18 miles from where Pina’s SUV was found.
The details of Pina’s disappearance were fuzzy at best.
She began her day Saturday with her husband, having breakfast at a Starbucks.
Her husband last saw her at 9 a.m. and spoke to her on the phone around noon.
Pina was caught by surveillance cameras at a Target around 10 a.m., a LensCrafters around 10:30 a.m., a Home Depot around 11 a.m. and finally the Sonic around 1:30 p.m.
Her husband said he began to worry when he got home later in the day and she wasn’t there.
“You know, when you feel a vibe like something’s wrong, I started feeling that vibe like around 6 p.m., when I started calling my father-in-law,” Edward Pina, Sabrina’s husband, said.
Pina’s family said they have no reason to suspect that something was amiss.
“Nobody was cross or mad at her. And they didn’t have any strife going on. It’s just really heart wrenching,” Tolentino said.

http://www.khou.com/news/local/crime/stories/khou090223_tnt_pina-body-search.43a95bd8.html

[foxfarmboxers]

Woman Possibly Abducted While Shopping

POSTED: Monday, February 23, 2009
UPDATED: 6:59 am CST February 23, 2009
HOUSTON -- A woman may have been abducted while shopping in northwest Harris County,

See Complete Story At: http://www.click2houston.com/news/18773943/detail.html#-


My thoughts and prayers are with this family at this very difficult time.

[sarahhod]

Police investigate 27-year-old woman's disappearance

07:42 AM CST on Monday, February 23, 2009

By Alex Sanz / 11 News


HOUSTON – A young woman has reportedly disappeared from a Houston shopping center parking lot.
According to the victim’s mother, 27-year-old Sabrina Tolentino Pina was last heard from around noon on Saturday.
"It runs through your mind that somebody has taken her. That’s because it's so out of the ordinary," said Sabrina's mother, Mary Helen Tolentino.
Details of Sabrina’s disappearance are fuzzy. She began her day with her husband by having breakfast at a nearby Starbucks and then went shopping.
http://www.kvue.com/news/state/stories/M_IMAGE.11f5fb26346.93.88.fa.d0.3f7831af.jpg 1
11 News
27-year-old Sabrina Tolentino Pina was last heard from around noon on Saturday.

Edward Pina says he last saw his wife at 9 a.m. He heard from her around noon, but when he got home later in the day, she wasn't there.
“I started feeling the vibe that something was wrong around 6 p.m. I called my father-in-law, and then I knew something was really wrong," said Edward.
As far as police can tell, Sabrina spent much of the day near State Highway 249. She stopped by a Target store around 10 a.m., a LensCrafters around 10:30 a.m. and then was at a Home Depot by 11 a.m.
She was last seen on surveillance video at a Sonic at 1:30 in the afternoon.
It was her father who found her black Nissan Frontier seven hours later in the parking lot of a nearby Kohl's.
“The scary part was that when we found her vehicle in the parking lot of the Kohl's, it was still full of shopping bags. And she was nowhere to be found," said the victim’s father, Rolando Tolentino.
Sabrina's family says they have no reason to suspect anything was wrong.
"Nobody was cross or mad at her," said Rolando.
"She is a very caring young woman. We just have to find her," said Mary Ellen.
The family friend is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to Sabrina's safe return.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers, the Harris County Sheriff's Office or their local police department.

http://www.kvue.com/news/state/stories/022409kvue_pina-disappearance-eh.43abd54c.html

[Micky_Spill]

I am guessing that the body found has been ruled out to be her or family does not think it is her? I think they would know as the body found was found shortly after it was placed there.

[Faith]

I am guessing that the body found has been ruled out to be her or family does not think it is her? I think they would know as the body found was found shortly after it was placed there.


Search suspended for missing woman

09:51 AM CST on Monday, February 23, 2009

HOUSTON—Police suspended the search for a missing 27-year-old woman Sunday after a trucker found a body in northwest Harris County.

Sabrina Tolentino Pina was last seen around 1:30 p.m. Saturday on surveillance video at a Sonic near State Highway 249.

Her father found her SUV abandoned in the parking lot of a nearby Kohl’s Saturday night.

“Scary part was we actually found her vehicle here in the parking lot of the Kohl’s, full of shopping bags, because she’d been shopping most of the day. And she was nowhere to be found, “ Pina’s father, Rolando Tolentino, said.

While authorities had yet to confirm whether the body was that of Pina, a source close to her family said they are highly suspicious that it is.

The body, found along Jack Road near Warren Ranch Road, is described as a white or Hispanic female in her 20s or 30s with a petite build.

The location of the body is about 18 miles from where Pina’s SUV was found.

The details of Pina’s disappearance were fuzzy at best.

She began her day Saturday with her husband, having breakfast at a Starbucks.

Her husband last saw her at 9 a.m. and spoke to her on the phone around noon.

Pina was caught by surveillance cameras at a Target around 10 a.m., a LensCrafters around 10:30 a.m., a Home Depot around 11 a.m. and finally the Sonic around 1:30 p.m.

Her husband said he began to worry when he got home later in the day and she wasn’t there.

“You know, when you feel a vibe like something’s wrong, I started feeling that vibe like around 6 p.m., when I started calling my father-in-law,” Edward Pina, Sabrina’s husband, said.

Pina’s family said they have no reason to suspect that something was amiss.

“Nobody was cross or mad at her. And they didn’t have any strife going on. It’s just really heart wrenching,” Tolentino said.

http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou090223_tnt_pina-body-search.43a95bd8.html

[Faith]

This is so sad, I wonder what happened. Someone kidnap her?

[Faith]

>snipped<

Details of Sabrina’s disappearance are fuzzy. She began her day with her husband by having breakfast at a nearby Starbucks and then went shopping. Edward Pina says he last saw his wife at 9 a.m. He heard from her around noon, but when he got home later in the day, she wasn't there.

As far as police can tell, Sabrina spent much of the day near State Highway 249. She stopped by a Target store around 10 a.m., a LensCrafters around 10:30 a.m. and then was at a Home Depot by 11 a.m.

She was last seen on surveillance video at a Sonic at 1:30 in the afternoon.

It was her father who found her black Nissan Frontier seven hours later in the parking lot of a nearby Kohl's.

“The scary part was that when we found her vehicle in the parking lot of the Kohl's, it was still full of shopping bags. And she was nowhere to be found," said the victim’s father, Rolando Tolentino.

Sabrina's family says they have no reason to suspect anything was wrong.

"Nobody was cross or mad at her," said Rolando.

http://www.kvue.com/news/state/stories/022409kvue_pina-disappearance-eh.43abd54c.html

[Faith]

Video here: http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/090223_woman_missing_near_tomball

HOUSTON - Deputies and other organizations are searching for a woman who disappeared from a northwest Harris County shopping center on Saturday afternoon.

Sabrina Tolentino Pina, 27, has not been seen since running errands in the Spring-Cypress area. Authorities say her husband spoke to her just before noon.

Pina's truck was later found in the parking lot of a Kohl's store at the22500 block of State Highway 249, the Tomball Parkway, near Spring-Cypress Road. Her shopping bags were still inside the vehicle.

Along with friends and family, Texas EquuSearch surveyed the area on Sunday, but decided to suspend the search because of new information they could not disclose.

There is a reward for information that can help find Pina. If you have any information, you are asked to contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office at 713-221-6000.

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/090223_woman_missing_near_tomball

[Faith]

http://media2.myfoxhouston.com//photo/2009/02/23/090223sabrina1_tmb0004_20090223065829243_640_480.J PG

http://media2.myfoxhouston.com//photo/2009/02/23/090223sabrina1_tmb0011_20090223065829393_640_480.J PG

[Faith]

The location of the body is about 18 miles from where Pina’s SUV was found.

IMO she had to know the person she got in the car with. I hope there were cameras in the parking lot.

[Faith]

Body Found Sunday Is of Missing Woman

http://media2.myfoxhouston.com//photo/2009/02/23/090223sabrina1_tmb0000_2009022306582982_320_240.JP G

Last Edited: Monday, 23 Feb 2009, 3:53 PM CST

TOMBALL, Texas - A family's worst fears are confirmed when investigators learn that a body found Sunday is indeed that of a woman reported missing on Saturday.

Investigators notified the family of 27-year-old Sabrina Pina on Monday that her body was the one found at the intersection of Jack Road and Warren Ranch Road in northwest Harris County on Sunday. The site where the body was found is approximately 20 miles from her home.

Pina disappeared Saturday during a mid-afternoon shopping trip to a retail center near her Tomball home. Her truck was found later that night in the parking lot of a Kohl's store at the 22500 block of State Highway 249, the Tomball Parkway, but there was no sign of the woman.

For most of Monday, Pina's family had been at the home she shares with her husband Edward.

Pina was a graduate of the University of Texas. She married her husband, a graduate of Sam Houston State University, in 2006. Pina's mother-in-law told FOX 26 earlier Monday that her son was very upset over his wife's disappearance.

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/090223_search_missing_tomball_woman

[Faith]

This was so sad. She is so young and beautiful with her entire future ahead of her. :1187603408.CR.Mothe

RIP Sabrina :1222423::1222423::1222423:


My deepest sympathy is with the family and friends. :1222423:

[annalyzer]

:sad0119: RIP Sabrina :1222423:

[Faith]

Body identified as missing woman
Monday, February 23, 2009 | 4:30 PM

Video

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The body of a woman found in a ditch in northwest Harris County is that of Sabrina Pina. She disappeared from a department store on Saturday.

Late Monday afternoon Harris county homicide confirmed the death of Pina. Her body was found in a ditch not long after she vanished while shopping off Highway 249 and Spring Cypress Road.

Family members were hoping to find their missing loved one, but certainly not like this. Sabrina's family says they know she had been shopping in the Willowbrook area. She had called her husband as she made several stops at Lens Crafters, Target, Home Depot and management at a nearby Sonic says they have video of her vehicle making a stop there.

"We're Christians and we believe in faith. We go to mass all the time," said Edward Pina, Sabrina's husband. "We are honest people."

Edward says they had dinner plans, but she never showed up.

"The thing is she's a very punctual person," he said. "I left work around 5 and called and it went straight to voice mail."

The family quickly mobilized help from friends, family and church members and spent the day passing out flyers and mapping out searches of the area.

Edward says they have been happily married for three years and he's not aware of any problems at home or at her work.

Pina's father, Rolando Tolentino, found her truck in the parking lot of Kohl's about a mile and a half from their home.

"The glove box was closed. The packages were in the back. I just assumed she was out shopping and forgot her dinner appointment," he said.

If anyone has information about this case, they're asked to call the Harris County Sheriff's Department.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=6674351

[Faith]

Sabrina was shot to death.

[foxfarmboxers]

My deepest condolences to Mr. Pina, as well as Sabrina's parents, loved ones, and friends. I pray that LE is able to provide answers to the family quickly, and that justice is swift and firm.

RIP Sabrina.

[foxfarmboxers]

Woman's Body Identified As Missing Shopper

POSTED: Monday, February 23, 2009
UPDATED: 6:36 pm CST February 23, 2009

See Complete Story At: http://www.click2houston.com/news/18773943/detail.html#-

[annalyzer]

http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou090223_mh_pina_prayer_vigil.46b26084.html

10:46 PM CST on Monday, February 23, 2009
By Shern-Min Chow / 11 News

Hundreds gather in memory of Sabrina Pina

SPRING, Texas -- Grief and heartache hung heavy in the air as hundreds of people streamed into a Spring church Monday night.

They were there to mourn the loss of a young woman who disappeared while shopping on Saturday. On Monday, investigators positively identified the body of Sabrina Pina.

She had been shot, her body dumped on the side of the road about 18 miles from where she was last seen alive.

"When something like this happens to good people, it just tears you up inside," said Kristine Gonzalez, a family friend.

http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/M_IMAGE.11f5fb26346.93.88.fa.d0.46d201e5.jpg
Friends and family attended a prayer vigil for Sabrina Pina.

Sabrina's best friend spoke to the mourners at Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Church.

"Sabrina's life was more than what just happened to her," said Tatiana Armenta. "She needs to be remembered for the 27 wonderful years she gave us."

The victim's father spoke briefly to friends and family saying, "Our hearts are ripped open. We can hardly breathe. But with every hug, every text message you are stitching our hearts back, little by little."

Earlier, Rolando Tolentino said he was trying to be strong for his wife and son-in-law.

http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/M_IMAGE.11f5fb26346.93.88.fa.d0.3f7831af.jpg
27-year-old Sabrina Tolentino Pina was last heard from around noon on Saturday.

"I am trying to hold up for them as much as I can. I cry when they don't see me," Tolentino said.

A family friend is offering a $5,000 reward in the case.

Dr. Byron Holt said he had known Pina since she was a young girl.

"[Pina] graduated from UT with a biochemistry degree. Very bright, a lot to give this community and taken off this earth," Dr. Holt said.

And even in their grief, they are reaching out to another victim's family. It's been three weeks since Susana De Jesus vanished from a Pearland shopping center.

"I told her that we will pray for her and that we are sorry that her sister has not been found," said Armenta. "And I asked her to pray for us, too."

Authorities are reviewing surveillance video and will only say that they have active leads.

[foxfarmboxers]

Prayer Service Held For Slain Shopper

POSTED: Tuesday, February 24, 2009
UPDATED: 8:02 am CST February 24, 2009

See Complete Story At: http://www.click2houston.com/news/18782610/detail.html#-

[Amusedtdth]

RIP Sabrina - :1222423:

My sympathies to her husband, family and friends for your loss.

[Pandabear]

My deepest sympathy goes out to Sabrina's family and friends. :1222423:

[sarahhod]

THE PINA CASE

Victim’s dad: ‘It’s my baby girl’

By PEGGY O’HARE, ANITA HASSAN and MIKE GLENN Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

Feb. 24, 2009, 7:47AM

http://imagec14.247realmedia.com/RealMedia/ads/Creatives/default/empty.gif/0 (http://oascentral.chron.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/chron.com/news/houston/story/1603340261/Position3/default/empty.gif/584f6f3463306d695935774144757535?x)
http://www.chron.com/photos/2009/02/23/15428248/260xStory.jpg
Mayra Beltran Chronicle

COMING TOGETHER: Edward Pina, in striped shirt, is comforted by loved ones before a vigil for his wife, Sabrina, at Christ the Good Shepherd Church on Monday, the day her remains were identified.
When Sabrina Pina’s family learned Monday that a body found in a northwest Harris County ditch had been identified as hers, the woman’s father sent out a heartbreaking text message to close friends.
“It’s my baby girl,” Rolando Tolentino of Spring wrote in the message, which was sent to friends’ cell phones at 2:23 p.m.
Sheriff’s homicide investigators and Harris County medical examiner’s officials have not yet released how Pina, 27, was killed, but her death has been ruled a homicide. It was not clear Monday night if her family had been told how she died.
Pina is believed to have been abducted Saturday afternoon after going to a Kohl’s department store at Texas 249 and Spring Cypress. The Tomball woman’s truck was later found in the store’s parking lot with purchases she made earlier that day still in her vehicle, friends said.
Pina’s clothed body was found about 7 a.m. Sunday in a ditch at Jack Road and Warren Ranch Road, a rural area near Hockley about 23 miles from the store.
Nearly 250 people gathered Monday evening at a vigil at Christ the Good Shepherd, Pina’s childhood church, to remember a woman described as bright, loving and kind. As the service began, a woman’s sobs echoed through the sanctuary. Pina’s husband, Edward, sat in the front row between his wife’s parents and his own mother. He bowed his head and clutched the front of the pew with both hands as he wept quietly.
The scent of incense filled the room as prayers were read and hymns were sung. Tears rolled down somber faces in the crowd. Pina’s father spoke to the crowd toward the end of the service.
“Our hearts are ripped open and we can barely breathe,” he said as his voice cracked. “With every text message I receive every 15 seconds and phone call every three minutes and with every hug, you are stitching back our hearts.”
Law enforcement officials said it is too soon to say whether Pina’s abduction is connected to the Feb. 2 kidnapping of Susana de Jesus, a 37-year-old Houston woman taken at gunpoint from a Pearland shopping center, also located in a suburban area near a major freeway. De Jesus has never been found.
Brazoria County sheriff’s detectives who are investigating De Jesus’ disappearance have been in touch with the Harris County sheriff’s homicide investigators working Pina’s case. There was not enough information to compare the crimes Monday, but both agencies will discuss the two cases in the future, said Brazoria County sheriff’s Capt. Chris Kincheloe.
Pina was running errands Saturday when she called her husband from Home Depot around noon to ask what kind of garbage disposal to buy. She was last seen at a Sonic at 1:30 p.m., where she was captured on video by a surveillance camera, said Jeffrey Armenta, a close friend of Pina’s. She is believed to have vanished between 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Her vehicle was found at the Kohl’s store parking lot at 22529 Tomball Parkway, also known as Texas 249.
Harris County sheriff’s homicide investigators did not respond to repeated requests for information on the case Monday. Pina’s friends pleaded with anyone who saw anything suspicious to call homicide detectives at 713-967-5810 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
“She was funny, she was powerful. She’s very much missed,” said Jeffrey Armenta’s wife, Tatiana Armenta, who described herself at Pina’s best friend.
The two women graduated together from Klein High School in 2000. “We were actually dreading that we were old enough to be going to our 10-year (high school) reunion,” Armenta said.
Pina went on to graduate from the University of Texas and was working for TXU Energy’s marketing department at the time of her disappearance. She and her husband married in October 2006. They have no children.
Customers outside the Kohl’s store where Pina’s truck was found said Monday that they are frightened by the disappearances of two women from suburban shopping centers in the same month.
“I’m very scared,” said Ana Cabrera, 56, who lives in the Spring Cypress area. “I see it as a similar case.”
“I always walk outside with my keys ready, and I pay attention,” Bauman said. “I’m always paranoid ... It could happen to any one of us.”

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6277903.html


Dear God, This is so terribly sad.

My sincerest condolences to Sabrina's family and friends.

RIP Sabrina.

[foxfarmboxers]

THE PINA CASE

Victim’s dad: ‘It’s my baby girl’

By PEGGY O’HARE, ANITA HASSAN and MIKE GLENN Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

Feb. 24, 2009, 7:47AM

http://imagec14.247realmedia.com/RealMedia/ads/Creatives/default/empty.gif/0 (http://oascentral.chron.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/chron.com/news/houston/story/1603340261/Position3/default/empty.gif/584f6f3463306d695935774144757535?x)
http://www.chron.com/photos/2009/02/23/15428248/260xStory.jpg
Mayra Beltran Chronicle

COMING TOGETHER: Edward Pina, in striped shirt, is comforted by loved ones before a vigil for his wife, Sabrina, at Christ the Good Shepherd Church on Monday, the day her remains were identified.
When Sabrina Pina’s family learned Monday that a body found in a northwest Harris County ditch had been identified as hers, the woman’s father sent out a heartbreaking text message to close friends.
“It’s my baby girl,” Rolando Tolentino of Spring wrote in the message, which was sent to friends’ cell phones at 2:23 p.m.
Sheriff’s homicide investigators and Harris County medical examiner’s officials have not yet released how Pina, 27, was killed, but her death has been ruled a homicide. It was not clear Monday night if her family had been told how she died.
Pina is believed to have been abducted Saturday afternoon after going to a Kohl’s department store at Texas 249 and Spring Cypress. The Tomball woman’s truck was later found in the store’s parking lot with purchases she made earlier that day still in her vehicle, friends said.
Pina’s clothed body was found about 7 a.m. Sunday in a ditch at Jack Road and Warren Ranch Road, a rural area near Hockley about 23 miles from the store.
Nearly 250 people gathered Monday evening at a vigil at Christ the Good Shepherd, Pina’s childhood church, to remember a woman described as bright, loving and kind. As the service began, a woman’s sobs echoed through the sanctuary. Pina’s husband, Edward, sat in the front row between his wife’s parents and his own mother. He bowed his head and clutched the front of the pew with both hands as he wept quietly.
The scent of incense filled the room as prayers were read and hymns were sung. Tears rolled down somber faces in the crowd. Pina’s father spoke to the crowd toward the end of the service.
“Our hearts are ripped open and we can barely breathe,” he said as his voice cracked. “With every text message I receive every 15 seconds and phone call every three minutes and with every hug, you are stitching back our hearts.”
Law enforcement officials said it is too soon to say whether Pina’s abduction is connected to the Feb. 2 kidnapping of Susana de Jesus, a 37-year-old Houston woman taken at gunpoint from a Pearland shopping center, also located in a suburban area near a major freeway. De Jesus has never been found.
Brazoria County sheriff’s detectives who are investigating De Jesus’ disappearance have been in touch with the Harris County sheriff’s homicide investigators working Pina’s case. There was not enough information to compare the crimes Monday, but both agencies will discuss the two cases in the future, said Brazoria County sheriff’s Capt. Chris Kincheloe.
Pina was running errands Saturday when she called her husband from Home Depot around noon to ask what kind of garbage disposal to buy. She was last seen at a Sonic at 1:30 p.m., where she was captured on video by a surveillance camera, said Jeffrey Armenta, a close friend of Pina’s. She is believed to have vanished between 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Her vehicle was found at the Kohl’s store parking lot at 22529 Tomball Parkway, also known as Texas 249.
Harris County sheriff’s homicide investigators did not respond to repeated requests for information on the case Monday. Pina’s friends pleaded with anyone who saw anything suspicious to call homicide detectives at 713-967-5810 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
“She was funny, she was powerful. She’s very much missed,” said Jeffrey Armenta’s wife, Tatiana Armenta, who described herself at Pina’s best friend.
The two women graduated together from Klein High School in 2000. “We were actually dreading that we were old enough to be going to our 10-year (high school) reunion,” Armenta said.
Pina went on to graduate from the University of Texas and was working for TXU Energy’s marketing department at the time of her disappearance. She and her husband married in October 2006. They have no children.
Customers outside the Kohl’s store where Pina’s truck was found said Monday that they are frightened by the disappearances of two women from suburban shopping centers in the same month.
“I’m very scared,” said Ana Cabrera, 56, who lives in the Spring Cypress area. “I see it as a similar case.”
“I always walk outside with my keys ready, and I pay attention,” Bauman said. “I’m always paranoid ... It could happen to any one of us.”

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6277903.html


Dear God, This is so terribly sad.

My sincerest condolences to Sabrina's family and friends.

RIP Sabrina.

I'm glad to see from the article that LE agencies are looking into the possibility that the DeJesus case and the Pina case may be related. These two areas are only about 1 hour apart.

I called my SIL last night, she lives in the Tomball area. I warned her, and asked her to please warn my niece, great niece, and niece-in-law. All women in these areas, should maintain diligence with their safety, until this person/persons are caught and brought to justice.

My thoughts and prayers continue for both of these families. I pray that LE is able to provide answers soon, and that justice will be swift and harsh.
:1222423:

[Faith]

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll116/helpfindthemissing/Sympathy/Condolences.jpg

[Faith]

Women being snatched from parking lots in Houston, Texas?
By Nikki Weingartner.
Published 1 hour

n 2008, Houston was ranked as number 48 out of 385 cities in America for criminal activity. Just this month, two Houston women have disappeared from shopping areas, with one still missing and one found shot and discarded. How safe are we? People across the country love a train wreck, with hundreds and even thousands willing to show up and watch as bodies are pulled from the wreckage. That same lot might enjoy reading, or hearing second hand, just how their city fared amongst other big cities in the United States as far as criminal activity goes. In 2008, a comprehensive ranking using FBI data (http://os.cqpress.com/citycrime/CityCrime2008_Rank_Rev.pdf) as a measure of criminal activity assessed nearly 400 cities in America from worst to best as far as safety.

Topping that list was New Orleans, LA, followed by Camden, NJ, Detroit, MI, St. Louis, MO and Oakland, CA. In fact, in the top 20 worst cities, the states of California, Ohio, Florida and Michigan made the list twice each. But it isn't until we get into the 34th most unsafe city that we begin to see Texas on the list, with Dallas making the state's debut and further down the line at number 48 is the booming metropolis of Houston.

But is this data misleading to those looking for a safe place to live?

Three days ago, a 27-year-old woman named Sabrina Pina set out on what her husband called a "routine" shopping trip. When she failed to return home (http://www.click2houston.com/news/18772574/detail.html), police were notified and Pina's vehicle was found in a popular department store parking lot. Texas Equusearch began its search for the young woman but that proved empty. A passing motorist noticed a body (http://www.click2houston.com/news/18773943/detail.html) the next morning in a ditch along a roadside about 15 miles from where Pina's vehicle had been found. The body was identified as Sabrina Pina, with no further details released except having been shot and obviously discarded. Police continue to investigate and reportedly having removed evidence from Pina's vehicle.

As far as her husband of three years, it was said that the two were "deeply" in love. Police believe her death to be a homicide, stating that she was probably abducted (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6277903.html) in the afternoon. Her purchases from earlier in the day were found in her vehicle. She had called her husband around noon from Home Depot to ask about a garbage disposal and then was captured later on camera at Sonic. They believe she disappeared sometime between 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm.

A tragic ending to a tragic tale. However, not one that is so uncommon it seems. On the opposite side of the city on February 3, Susana De Jesus was leaving (http://www.click2houston.com/news/18634855/detail.html) the store where she worked just after 9 pm. She had just closed the store and was walking with a co-worker to her car. Police say that two armed men ambushed her and then one of the men forced her into her own vehicle. The other armed man got into another vehicle in which both men had arrived.

The son of the co-worker called 911 and reported the abduction. De Jesus' car, a 2008 Cadillac, was later found abandoned at an apartment complex. Shortly after her abduction, a man was filmed using her ATM/Bank Card while in her car but no signs of De Jesus were evident. Additional evidence was released yesterday showing:

an African-American or dark-complected Hispanic male. He's wearing a red T-shirt, [and the] man wore gloves to perhaps cover up a distinctive tattoo or watch. He was also right-handed.
There have been no additional clues turn up in the case of the missing 37-year-old woman taken by gunpoint after walking to her car. Only a flier (http://texasequusearch.org/images/pdf/DeJesusSusana.pdf) pleading for help and the safe return of this young woman.

Susana De Jesus is still missing.

Women, by nature, are vulnerable to certain types of attacks and should be wary of walking alone across parking lots or in parking garages. However, in both of these stories, the women seemed to endure some kind of twist of the norm, with one being isolated and abducted leaving behind a co-worker. The other, taken at some point during a shopping trip and found discarded a few miles away as if she had been tossed out. Both women from the Houston area; both women Hispanic; both women in shopping type situations. So many unanswered questions in both cases.

Back in October, a report revealed (http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/10/06/Kidnapping_attempts_rise_in_Houston/UPI-88411223332590/) that Houston is seeing an increase in attempted kidnappings specifically at busstops or with children walking to school and that boys may be targeted more often than girls.

Remember: living in a safe city doesn't mean that you don't live in the top 25 worst locations.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/267912

[packy]

This is so horrible.

My condolences to Sabrina's family.

[annalyzer]

I'm glad to see from the article that LE agencies are looking into the possibility that the DeJesus case and the Pina case may be related. These two areas are only about 1 hour apart.

I called my SIL last night, she lives in the Tomball area. I warned her, and asked her to please warn my niece, great niece, and niece-in-law. All women in these areas, should maintain diligence with their safety, until this person/persons are caught and brought to justice.

My thoughts and prayers continue for both of these families. I pray that LE is able to provide answers soon, and that justice will be swift and harsh.
:1222423:

Hi Fox. Most of us would think we were acting safely when walking to our vehicle with another person as did Dejesus. Even that didn't help her.

[foxfarmboxers]

Spring woman's friends ask for help....

See Complete Story And Video At: http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/special/07/templates/lineuppop.html?mcVideo=958498245

[annalyzer]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,499570,00.html

Texas Woman Who Vanished While Running
Errands Found Shot to Death

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

http://www.foxnews.com/images/511647/1_61_pina_sabrina.jpg
Sabrina Pina

A missing persons case turned to a murder investigation after the gruesome discovery of a Texas woman's body in a highway ditch.

Sabrina Tolentino Pina, 27, was apparently shot and killed after disappearing while running errands Saturday in the Houston area, police said. Her purse is missing.

"I can confirm that she was shot," Sgt. Wayne Kuhlman of the Harris County sheriff's homicide division told reporters Tuesday. "We’re not listing anybody as a suspect right now."

Pina was last seen in the parking lot of a Kohl's convenience store on Tomball Parkway about 2 p.m., after taking a trip to a local Starbucks earlier that morning with her husband.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office positively identified the clothed body found Sunday morning as Pina. The medical examiner's office hasn't released a cause of death.

Family and friends had already planned a candlelight church vigil for Pina, an employee of TXU Energy, Monday night. It turned into a memorial service after the tragic discovery.

"It's like someone took my heart and broke it in half, to tell you the truth," Ivan Wilson, a longtime friend of Pina's, said at the service, attended by about 800. "It's something you'll never get over."

Family friend Dr. Byron Holt described the University of Texas biochemistry graduate as "very bright."

"Now she's been taken off this earth for no good reason," Holt said at the memorial.

In a press conference held Tuesday, police said they had no motive and are asking for the public's help in solving the case.

They specifically want to know whether anyone saw anything out of the ordinary at the Kohl's parking lot where Pina was last tracked. Her father found his daughter's car there, filled with shopping bags, on Saturday night, according to MyFOXHouston.com.

Detectives believe that something happened to the young woman about 2 p.m. on Saturday. Her bank card and credit card transactions stop just before that time, they said. They're also analyzing footage from area stores' surveillance cameras. Pina was seen on video at a Sonic near the Kohl's about 1:30 p.m.

Loved ones began to worry about the young woman when she didn't show up for a family function Saturday evening. They say they don't know anyone who would want to hurt her.

"If you did this, be afraid, because good will prevail no matter what," Pina's best friend Tatiana Armenta told reporters Tuesday through tears.

Pina's family was too distraught to talk to the media, police said.

They have offered a reward of $30,000 for tips leading to Pina's killer. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at (713) 222-TIPS.

[dega101653]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6277903.html

THE PINA CASE
Victim’s dad: ‘It’s my baby girl’
By PEGGY O’HARE, ANITA HASSAN and MIKE GLENN Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
Feb. 24, 2009, 2:18PM
1 2
photo
Mayra Beltran Chronicle

COMING TOGETHER: Edward Pina, in striped shirt, is comforted by loved ones before a vigil for his wife, Sabrina, at Christ the Good Shepherd Church on Monday, the day her remains were identified.
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A Spring woman who turned up dead last weekend after disappearing from a store parking lot was shot to death and her purse remains missing, Harris County sheriff's investigators said today.

Detectives said they are examining business surveillance videos on the Tomball Parkway for any clues as to what happened during the final hours of Sabrina Pina's life.

After meeting her husband at a Starbucks coffee shop about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Pina spent several hours shopping at stores along the 22500 to 22800 blocks of FM 249.

The 27-year-old was last seen alive about 2 p.m. Saturday at a Kohl's store at Texas 249 and Spring Cypress.

"We think she was abducted there," said Sgt. Wayne Kuhlman, of the Harris County sheriff's homicide division.

Kuhlman is hoping other shoppers in the Kohl's parking lot may have seen the apparent abduction. He declined to say whether anything suspicious was recorded by the store's security cameras.

"We have her (Pina) on surveillance camera but I don't want to go into any more detail," Kuhlman said.

Pina's clothed body was found about 7 a.m Sunday in a ditch along Jack Road near Warren Ranch in northwest Harris County near Hockley. The area is about 23 miles from the Kohl's. She had been fatally shot, authorities said.

Pina's purse has not been found, but detectives said today they are unsure whether the killer intended to rob her.

"We don't have a clear motive at this time," Kuhlman said.

Detectives are still checking Pina's cell phone records to see if she made a call after her disappearance.

There are no indications that any of Pina's bank or credit cards have been used since Saturday, officials said.

When Pina's family learned Monday that the body found in northwest Harris County had been identified as hers, her father sent a heartbreaking text message to close friends.

“It’s my baby girl,” Rolando Tolentino of Spring wrote in the message, which was sent to friends’ cell phones at 2:23 p.m.

Pina’s truck was found in the Kohl's parking lot with purchases she had made earlier that day still in her vehicle, friends said.

Nearly 250 people gathered Monday evening at a vigil at Christ the Good Shepherd, Pina’s childhood church, to remember a woman described as bright, loving and kind. As the service began, a woman’s sobs echoed through the sanctuary. Pina’s husband, Edward, sat in the front row between his wife’s parents and his own mother. He bowed his head and clutched the front of the pew with both hands as he wept quietly.

The scent of incense filled the room as prayers were read and hymns were sung. Tears rolled down somber faces in the crowd. Pina’s father spoke to the crowd toward the end of the service.

“Our hearts are ripped open and we can barely breathe,” he said as his voice cracked. “With every text message I receive every 15 seconds and phone call every three minutes and with every hug, you are stitching back our hearts.”

Law enforcement officials said it is too soon to say whether Pina’s abduction is connected to the Feb. 2 kidnapping of Susana de Jesus, a 37-year-old Houston woman taken at gunpoint from a Pearland shopping center, also located in a suburban area near a major freeway. De Jesus has never been found.

Brazoria County sheriff’s detectives who are investigating De Jesus’ disappearance have been in touch with the Harris County sheriff’s homicide investigators working Pina’s case. There was not enough information to compare the crimes Monday, but both agencies will discuss the two cases in the future, said Brazoria County sheriff’s Capt. Chris Kincheloe.

Pina was running errands Saturday when she called her husband from Home Depot around noon to ask what kind of garbage disposal to buy. She was last seen at a Sonic at 1:30 p.m., where she was captured on video by a surveillance camera, said Jeffrey Armenta, a close friend. She is believed to have vanished between 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

“She was funny, she was powerful. She’s very much missed,” said Jeffrey Armenta’s wife, Tatiana Armenta, who described herself at Pina’s best friend.

The two women graduated together from Klein High School in 2000. “We were actually dreading that we were old enough to be going to our 10-year (high school) reunion,” Armenta said.

Pina went on to graduate from the University of Texas and was working for TXU Energy’s marketing department at the time of her disappearance. She and her husband married in October 2006. They have no children.

Customers outside the Kohl’s store where Pina’s truck was found said Monday that they are frightened by the disappearances of two women from suburban shopping centers in the same month.

“I’m very scared,” said Ana Cabrera, 56, who lives in the Spring Cypress area. “I see it as a similar case.”

“I always walk outside with my keys ready, and I pay attention,” Bauman said. “I’m always paranoid ... It could happen to any one of us.”

[foxfarmboxers]

I continue to pray for the Pina and De Jesus family's, as well as, all of the families of the missing. May God soon grant us all resolution in the disappearance of our loved ones, and family members.

[TigressPen]

Breaking News from ABC13 Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The Harris County Sheriffs Office has arrested a suspect in the kidnapping and murder of Sabrina Pina. We will have a live report with more details on Eyewitness News tonight at 10pm. For more details, go to abc13.com.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/

[CSAFD]

BREAKING NEWS: Arrest Made In Sabrina Pina Murder
KIAH Staff

February 24, 2009


An arrest was made Tuesday night in the murder of Tomball woman, Sabrina Pina. Pina was last seen alive at a Kohl's department store on Saturday, February 21st. Her body was found the following day dumped in a ditch. Medical examiners have determined that she was killed by a gunshout wound to the head. Other details of her death have not been released. The 27-year-old will be laid to rest on Friday at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Spring. However, her family's journey for justice in her murder is just beginning.


http://www.39online.com/pages/landing/?blockID=222797&feedID=155

[TigressPen]

Suspect arrested in Pina case

Wednesday, February 25, 2009 | 7:28 AM


HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A man has been arrested and charged in the death of Sabrina Pina, whose body was found over the weekend.

Theodore Charles Schmidt, 27, was arrested last night and has been charged with capital murder in Pina's killing. Eyewitness News has learned from his neighbors that officers had been watching his home at the Carrington Place apartments off of FM 1960 and Eldridge since Sunday afternoon.

Detectives say they were able to locate Schmidt based on the fingerprints found on the duct tape he allegedly used on the victim. Authorities say he taped her eyes and hands with the tape.


The complex at which Schmidt was arrested is about seven miles from where this all started over the weekend. Pina, 27, disappeared from a department store parking lot around 2pm Saturday off Highway 249 in Spring Cypress. Her truck was found in the parking lot, doors locked, shopping bags inside.
Investigators say they did establish a timeline on where Pina went on Saturday.

Investigators say they did establish a timeline on where Pina went on Saturday. Authorities say her day started around 9:30am. She and her husband had coffee at a Starbucks off the Tomball Parkway.

They both apparently had separate things to do and she went shopping. Police say she went to a Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, Willowbrook Mall, and a Sonic. Police know that her last stop was at a Kohl's department store, where she was seen on surveillance video.

By 7am Sunday morning, her clothed body was discovered in a ditch in far northwest Harris County. She had been shot to death.

We spoke to her husband who was desperate to find a break in the case.

"I've been stressed out. I haven't had any sleep. I'm just ready to get this over so I can put my baby into the grave. That's it. That's all I'm asking," said Edward Pina.

Police believe that Schmidt and Pina did know each other. Schmidt appeared in front of a magistrate judge this morning.

Funeral services have now been set for Pina. A viewing is set for Thursday at the Klein Funeral Home on Champion Forest Drive. Her funeral is Friday morning at Christ the Good Shepherd Church on Klein Church Road. She'll be buried at Klein Memorial Park in Tomball.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=6677057&cmp=emc-ktrk-Todays_News-022509-top1-6677057

[TigressPen]

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/livenow?id=6677829


A press conference is going on now. The suspect name was discovered because his fingerprint was on duct tape. About 12 hours was spent working in the duct tape - it was a good quality print. She said they called and woke up detectives to tell them about the match because they were so excited when they got a hit on the print in the database.

[packy]

That was good work by the police and all involved.

[foxfarmboxers]

Here is a news site that has a few videos regarding the arrest in this case.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/video

[CSAFD]

Man charged with Harlingen woman's murder
Feb. 25, 2009

HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS (AP) -- Authorities have charged a 27 year old man with capital murder in the slaying of Sabrina Piña of Harlingen.

Piña's body was found in a northwest Harris County ditch on Sunday after she disappeared from a shopping center.

Theodore Charles Schmidt was ordered held in the County Jail without bail after being charged with killing the 27 year old Piña.

The charge came after Harris County sheriff’s deputies spent hours questioning the man.

“This is not a stranger case — they’d known each other for years,” said Lt. Rolf Nelson of the sheriff’s Homicide Division.

He did not elaborate on their relationship.

Schmidt was taken into custody about 7 p.m. at the Carrington Place Apartments in northwest Houston and gave investigators a statement about the slaying, Nelson added.

A close friend and co-worker of Pina's, Tatiana Armenta, said Wednesday morning that she was relieved to learn of the arrest.

But, she added, "I don't know what to think."

Armenta said she vaguely recalls Schmidt's name, but does not remember where she heard it. She said she doesn't remember Pina ever mentioning it.

"I don't know who he is. I haven't heard anything about him," Armenta said.

She had not yet spoken with Pina's family about the arrest.

"They're having a very tough day," she said.

Pina was found shot to death Sunday morning.

She was last seen alive Saturday afternoon outside a Kohl’s department store at Texas 249 and Spring Cypress, about 23 miles away.

Investigators said they think she was abducted there.

Detectives examined surveillance video for clues, but homicide Sgt. Wayne Kuhlman would not say whether the store’s surveillance equipment captured anything suspicious.

“We have her (Pina) on surveillance camera, but I don’t want to go into any more detail,” Kuhlman said.

He also said Pina’s purse has not been recovered. Detectives are checking her cell phone records to see if a call was placed after her disappearance.

There is no evidence that her bank or credit cards have been used since Saturday, officials said.

After meeting her husband at a Starbucks about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Pina spent several hours shopping at stores along the 22500 to 28000 block of Texas 249.

Her last stop was at the Kohl’s store, detectives said.

“We’re confident that around 2 p.m., something happened out there in that Kohl’s parking lot,”’ Kuhlman said.

Pina’s clothed body was found about 7 a.m. Sunday in a ditch along Jack Road near Warren Ranch Road.

http://www.valleycentral.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=264945

[Faith]

Funeral details for slain Harlingen woman

SPRING, TEXAS -- The funeral arrangements have been made for a Harlingen woman abducted and killed in the Houston area.

Sabrina Tolentino Piña, 27, disappeared while shopping at stores along Highway 249 in the Spring-Cypress area on Saturday, February 21.

Her body was found Sunday morning in a ditch.

She was not identified until Tuesday.

Theodore Charles Schmidt, 27, has been arrested and charged with capital murder.

A rosary will be held for Sabrina on Thursday, February 26, at 7 p.m. at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Spring, Texas.

She will be buried Friday at 11 a.m. at Christ the Good Sheppard Church in Spring.
http://www.valleycentral.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=264982

:1187603408.CR.Mothe

[Faith]

http://www.chron.com/photos/2009/02/25/15446795/260xStory.jpg

Sheriff: Suspect and Spring woman were Klein classmates
Duct tape on victim yielded fingerprints that led to arrest, prosecutor says
By MIKE GLENN and JENNIFER LEAHY
Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
Feb. 25, 2009, 12:16PM

The man accused of abducting and killing Sabrina Pina was a classmate of hers at Klein High School, but insists that he has not had contact with her since then, an investigator said today.

Theodore Charles Schmidt, 27, was charged with capital murder early today but has not acknowledged that he killed the 27-year-old Pina, said Harris County sheriff's Lt. Rolf Nelson.

Schmidt was arrested at his apartment in northwest Houston on Tuesday night. Authorities said they focused on him after finding his fingerprints on duct tape that bound the woman's hands and covered her eyes.

Pina, who lived in Spring, was found dead in a ditch in northwest Harris County on Sunday morning. She had been shot in the head.

Nelson would not comment on other evidence uncovered by detectives, including whether Pina struggled with her abductor or was sexually assaulted.

Authorities were able to match the fingerprints from the duct tape to Schmidt because his prints were in county records after his arrest in September. He was indicted in December on a theft charge related to allegations that he sold merchandise on eBay to a New York man but never sent the goods.

A judge this morning ordered Schmidt held without bail on accusations that he abducted and killed Pina. The 27-year-old Spring resident was last seen alive on Saturday afternoon at a shopping center on the county's northwest side, investigators said.

Assistant District Attorney Donna Hawkins said investigators found "firearms evidence" consistent with the shooting of Pina inside Schmidt's apartment. She did not know what the specific evidence is, but said it could mean ammunition similar to the type that killed the victim.

Schmidt and Pina attended Klein High School at the same time, an official in the Klein school district confirmed. It was not immediately clear how well they knew each other.

“This is not a stranger case — they’d known each other for years,” said Lt. Nelson, of the sheriff’s Homicide Division.

A close friend and co-worker of Pina's, Tatiana Armenta, said this morning that she was relieved to learn of the arrest.

But, she added, "I don't know what to think."

Armenta said she vaguely recalls Schmidt's name, but does not remember where she heard it. She said she doesn't remember Pina ever mentioning it.

"I don't know who he is. I haven't heard anything about him," Armenta said.

She had not yet spoken with Pina's family about the arrest.

"They're having a very tough day," she said.

Schmidt was in court on Monday for a routine hearing on the theft charge, but authorities did not detain him then in connection with Pina's death.

He was charged with theft after receiving $6,400 from Martin Modzelewski, of Queens, N.Y., for a car engine and transmission he had advertised on eBay, according to court records.

After failing to received the goods he had paid for, Modzelewski went to police and Schmidt was arrested on Sept. 3, records show.

Pina was last seen alive Saturday afternoon outside a Kohl’s department store at Texas 249 and Spring Cypress, about 23 miles away. Investigators said they think she was abducted there.

Detectives examined surveillance video for clues, but homicide Sgt. Wayne Kuhlman would not say whether the store’s surveillance equipment captured anything suspicious.

“We have her (Pina) on surveillance camera, but I don’t want to go into any more detail,” Kuhlman said.

He also said Pina’s purse has not been recovered. Detectives are checking her cell phone records to see if a call was placed after her disappearance. There is no evidence that her bank or credit cards have been used since Saturday, officials said.

After meeting her husband at a Starbucks about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Pina spent several hours shopping at stores along the 22500 to 28000 block of Texas 249. Her last stop was at the Kohl’s store, detectives said.

“We’re confident that around 2 p.m., something happened out there in that Kohl’s parking lot,”’ Kuhlman said.

Pina’s clothed body was found about 7 a.m. Sunday in a ditch along Jack Road near Warren Ranch Road.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6277903.html

[Faith]

Suspect arrested, charged in Pina case

Wednesday, February 25, 2009 | 5:25 PM

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Investigators are just scratching the surface when it comes to finding the motive behind the murder of Sabrina Pina. They say the man responsible for the brutal killing is one of her former classmates.

Evidence from the scene led detectives straight to their murder suspect. And after questioning him, they also discovered this was no random crime.

Harris County sheriff's deputies said it was a single fingerprint that led them to Theodore Schmidt, 27. It was found on duct tape that was used to bound Pina's wrists and cover her eyes. Investigators used the print to find Schmidt, who has a history of arrests for minor offenses.

That was huge. I can't speculate on where we'd be because there might have been something else, but that's huge," said Lt. Nelson. "He can offer no explanation on how that print got on that piece of tape that was on her head."

Schmidt is charged with capital murder, accused of kidnapping Pina from a store last Saturday. Deputies say he shot her to death and dumped her body in a ditch in northwest Harris County.

Pina's death startled the community. Some believed her murder was a random act, but after arresting Schmidt, deputies learned it was much more than that.

"They went to high school together at Klein High School," said Lt. Nelson. "We found them in yearbooks. They were both in the same yearbooks, 1999-2000."

"According to him, they hadn't spoken since just after high school," added Nelson.

As for how well they knew each other, that's unknown at this time. Detectives also say they're trying to find out how he came into contact with Pina, why he killed her and if he was alone.

Investigators say Schmidt was a mechanic by trade, but had been making a living by selling items on Craig's List and eBay. One neighbor with whom we spoke told us he often worked on cars in his garage, but mainly kept to himself. Nonetheless, she says something about Schmidt troubled her.

"We didn't trust him," said neighbor Roxie Rudder. "Something about him, we just didn't trust."

Schmidt's fingerprints were in the criminal database because of a theft charge from last year. Ironically, he was in court on that charge this past Monday. A man in New York says he tried to buy an auto engine and transmission from Schmidt on eBay. The man said he mailed a cashier's check for $6,400, but never received the parts.

No bond has been set in this case.

Funeral services have now been set for Pina. A viewing is set for Thursday at the Klein Funeral Home on Champion Forest Drive. Her funeral is Friday morning at Christ the Good Shepherd Church on Klein Church Road. She'll be buried at Klein Memorial Park in Tomball.

Video

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=6677057

[CSAFD]

Crime Lab Discovers Crucial Fingerprint
Feb. 25, 2009

While investigators worked leads to find a suspect in the murder of Sabrina Pina, deputies in the Harris County Crime Scene Lab worked on the evidence. They found the one useable fingerprint that linked Theodore Schmidt to the crime.

The lab is located in the old jailhouse building downtown at 1301 Franklin, and while it looks nothing like the glitzy modern digs you see on the TV program "CSI," the deputies there say they get the job done.

Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Gail Mills worked for 12 hours on the duct tape that was wrapped around Pina's hands and eyes. "I started with the shorter pieces on the wrist and they were stuck together, and I photographed it as is," she said.

Deputy Mills used a glass bottle to show us how she treats a non-porous surface like duct tape with Super Glue. "The superglue polymerizes the moisture in the prints and makes them visible, and that's when you would apply the black powder or a chemical dye stain to make them fluoresce under the alternate light source." With the lights turned out, and special goggles on, we could see the fingerprints under the glowing light.

Mills had to peel back the duct tape, layer by layer, looking for prints. "You're also having to treat it and take it apart, and treat it and take it apart, each piece," she explained. "Also, you're constantly looking for fibers and hairs and things like that while you're doing your fingerprint processing."

All the while, she said, being sure not to degrade the evidence in any way. "The tape is sticking to itself, so, you don't want to stretch it out or stretch the print that may be there."

In this case there was. Deputy Mills lifted the fingerprint, photographed it, and then analyzed it by identifying the pattern, and painstakingly plotting the characteristics on a computer.

Deputy Dimitry Payavla demonstrated what a fingerprint analyst does before running a print through AFIS, the Automated Fingerprint Identification System. "So, on the left is the latent that I entered, and on the right are the respondents," he said, referring to the two fingerprint images on the computer screen. "We have 1.5 million records in here, and each record contains ten fingers, so you have well over 10 million fingerprints in our system."

They needed just one to point to the man police were looking for. Theodore Schmidt's prints were on file from a theft case. Deputy Payavla stressed the importance of an analysts' skill in making the match. "We print this out and do a side-by-side comparison," he said. "The computer doesn't make the identification, we make the identification."

"No, it's not as easy as it looks on "CSI," added Deputy Mills. "Everybody thinks it is, but it isn't."

She says there is still more evidence to process in the Pina murder case.

http://www.39online.com/pages/landing/?blockID=224294&feedID=155

[foxfarmboxers]

Sheriff: Suspect, woman were Klein classmates
Duct tape on victim yields prints, prosecutor says
By MIKE GLENN and JENNIFER LEAHY
Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
Feb. 26, 2009, 8:30AM


See Complete Story At: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/6277903.html

[Faith]

Father: Sabrina Piña full of life, love
By MIKE TOLSON Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
Feb. 26, 2009, 10:30PM

http://www.chron.com/photos/2009/02/26/15476990/260xStory.jpg
Ariana Rogers, a friend of Sabrina Piña, center, is comforted by Nannette Coons, right, outside the 182nd District Court in the Harris County Criminal Justice Center on Thursday.

As a child, Rolando Tolentino recalled seldom hearing words of love and affection from his father. When he became a father himself, he vowed to be different.

“I decided that no matter what happens, my children were going to know they are loved, that I would tell them I loved them, that I would hug them and kiss them and make them feel it,” Tolentino said. “Sabrina was the perfect result of all that.”

Sabrina Piña did not have children herself. She was abducted from a parking lot Saturday, bound with duct tape and shot to death. She was 27. But in her years as an adult, she touched countless lives and constantly shared the love that bubbled up inside her, her father said.

“She was active in the youth ministries in her church, first as a participant, then continuing her activity as an adult,” Tolentino said. “She was full of life and full of love. She’s always had a heart, and that’s what drove her to help other kids. That’s what she loved to do. That was her passion.”

As he prepares to bury today the daughter he still calls his “baby,” Tolentino expressed no hatred toward Theodore Charles Schmidt, the former classmate at Klein High School who is accused of killing her. He wondered aloud what was missing in Schmidt’s life that allegedly led him to commit such a horrible act.

“All I feel for him is sorrow,” he said. “He has destroyed our family and the people around our family and his own family. I’m not dancing on the roof because they caught him. I feel sorry for him. Maybe he did not have enough love in his life to feel like a whole person. My heart goes out to his family, who is having to live with this as well.”

Tolentino said he does not believe Piña knew her alleged assailant, or that she had been stalked, threatened or made to feel afraid.

“She would have said something,” he said.

Schmidt, also 27, was expected in state district court Thursday but did not appear because he had been previously arraigned. However, Tatiana Armenta, a fellow Klein graduate, was in court to see the man accused of kidnapping and killing her best friend. She said she was disappointed she didn’t get the chance.

"I think he’s a coward," Armenta said.

Armenta vowed to attend all court hearings involving Schmidt, culminating with his capital murder trial.

"I want him to hate my face," she said.

Jim Lindeman, Schmidt’s attorney, said the case against his client appears slight. Harris County Sheriff’s investigators said Schmidt acknowledged knowing Piña but denied any involvement in her death. The 27-year-old was linked to the crime by a fingerprint recovered from a piece of duct tape on her body, investigators said. The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, and the murder weapon has not been recovered.

“It’s an usual case, to say the least, at this point hinging on a pretty thin read of a fingerprint on a piece of tape,” Lindeman said. “So we’ll see what the experts say about that.”

In her plans

Piña worked in the marketing department of TXU Energy. She had obtained a degree in biology from the University of Texas because she intended to go to medical or graduate school, her father said, and she still spoke of pursuing that. Tolentino said Piña and her husband, Edward, were trying to start a family.

He said his daughter was passionate and determined about everything she did, whether it was church work, cooking or salsa dancing with her husband. She was a natural teacher, he said, and her personality, energy and concern for others brought her a wide circle of friends.

“I had no idea about how many people’s lives she actually had touched,” Tolentino said. “I knew there had to be a hundred because of all her friends. But from what I have seen there have to be a thousand. To them she would say, ‘Thank you. I love you. I appreciate you watching over my family and husband. Don’t worry about me, guys.’ ”

Piña’s funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday at Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Spring.

Brian Rogers contributed to this report.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6283765.html

http://images.chron.com/photos/2009/02/25/15461170/600xPopupGallery.jpghttp://images.chron.com/photos/2009/02/25/15461180/600xPopupGallery.jpghttp://images.chron.com/photos/2009/02/24/15461200/600xPopupGallery.jpghttp://images.chron.com/photos/2009/02/25/15461210/600xPopupGallery.jpghttp://images.chron.com/photos/2009/02/25/15461220/600xPopupGallery.jpghttp://images.chron.com/photos/2009/02/23/15461127/600xPopupGallery.jpghttp://images.chron.com/photos/2009/02/23/15461240/600xPopupGallery.jpg

[CSAFD]

Family, friends say goodbye to Sabrina Pina

Friday, February 27, 2009

HOUSTON—Family and friends gathered Friday morning to say their final goodbyes to Sabrina Pina.

http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou090227_tnt_pina-funeral.c3fe0b1.html?npc

[Faith]

:1222423::1222423::1222423:

[CSAFD]

Murder Suspect Released On Bond
Apr. 16, 2009

HOUSTON -- A man accused of abducting and killing a woman he knew from high school was released on bond, KPRC Local 2 reported Thursday.

In February, Sabrina Pina was kidnapped from a northwest Harris County shopping center.

She was found one day later shot to death on the side of the road. Theodore Schmidt is charged with capital murder in connection with the case.

A judge granted Schmidt bail and he posted a $200,000 bond.

Friends of Pina said they cannot believe he is out of jail.

"I'm disgusted that he's out there living a half-normal life when he took away someone's life," said Tatiana Armenta, Pina's best friend. "It is shocking? Yeah. Is it a kick when you're down? Is it salt in the wound? It's all those things. It's very hurtful."

As part of Schmidt's bond conditions, the judge ordered him to wear an electronic ankle bracelet, adhere to a strict curfew, and stay away from Pina's family.

Armenta said she's fearful that Schmidt could hurt someone while he's on bond since he allegedly murdered Pina while out on bail for another crime.

In that case, Schmidt was out on bail for a state jail felony theft.

Schmidt's lawyer said his client is at home with his family and claims he is innocent.

Schmidt's next scheduled court appearance is May 28.

If convicted of capital murder, he could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/19201724/detail.html

[nomadpatti]

Murder Suspect Released On Bond
Apr. 16, 2009

HOUSTON -- A man accused of abducting and killing a woman he knew from high school was released on bond, KPRC Local 2 reported Thursday.

In February, Sabrina Pina was kidnapped from a northwest Harris County shopping center.

She was found one day later shot to death on the side of the road. Theodore Schmidt is charged with capital murder in connection with the case.

A judge granted Schmidt bail and he posted a $200,000 bond.

Friends of Pina said they cannot believe he is out of jail.

"I'm disgusted that he's out there living a half-normal life when he took away someone's life," said Tatiana Armenta, Pina's best friend. "It is shocking? Yeah. Is it a kick when you're down? Is it salt in the wound? It's all those things. It's very hurtful."

As part of Schmidt's bond conditions, the judge ordered him to wear an electronic ankle bracelet, adhere to a strict curfew, and stay away from Pina's family.

Armenta said she's fearful that Schmidt could hurt someone while he's on bond since he allegedly murdered Pina while out on bail for another crime.

In that case, Schmidt was out on bail for a state jail felony theft.

Schmidt's lawyer said his client is at home with his family and claims he is innocent.

Schmidt's next scheduled court appearance is May 28.

If convicted of capital murder, he could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/19201724/detail.html


I am in shock! :shock:
Bail for a capital murder charge?
$200,000 ?????
That ankle braclet should keep him confined in comfort of his own home after allegedly leaving Sabrina in a ditch!
He is facing death or life.....what does he have to lose?
This infuriates me!! :45024:

[CSAFD]

its just like Brittany McGlone's Case, the suspect was arrested and released. and he is only going on trial May 20, 2009 for the 2006 sexual assualt on his ex-wife, not for raping, torturing and beating Brittany to death. R.I.P. Sabrina and Brittany

[Audie]

I'm appalled. He better hope I don't :bump: into him. jmo

[CSAFD]

I'm appalled. He better hope I don't :bump: into him. jmo

and me too, cuz i got to come to Tx in mid May for trial

[CSAFD]

Park Dedicated in Memory of Murder Victim
Sabrina Tolentino-Pina Memorial Park Almost Complete


December 1, 2009

Edward Piña's heart continues to mend. it has been nine months since his college sweetheart was murdered.

Sabrina Tolentino-Piña was kidnapped in broad daylight from a shopping center in February. Her body was discovered in an empty field. She had been shot in the head and her eyes duck-taped. Her accused killer, Theodore Schmidt is out on bond.

"It seems like somebody cut my feet underneath me and I was just trying to get back up," said Edward Piña.

It has taken edward a lot of counseling, lots of medication and the love of his family to move on. Next month, he will head back to work and begin a new year.

To kick start the year, residents at the Tera Nova sub-division in Spring will be dedicating a park to Sabrina. Touched by her tragic murder, they took the empty lot and began transforming it into a park. Edward believes the random kindness of strangers is helping him get some closure.

"Very thankful to Tera Nova and the board to put a memory to this cause Sabrina was very well known in her community," said Piña.

A gazeboo and lighting is all that's left. Soon enough residents will be able to visit the park. Edward says it will be a great place for family and friends to spend time together.

"Life is too short...you cant take life for granted," said Piña.

http://www.39online.com/news/local/kiah-sabrina-pina-park-story,0,5982533.story?track=rss

[foxfarmboxers]

Park Dedicated In Victim's Name

Jan. 9, 2010: A park is dedicated in honor of a murder victim. Courtney Zavala reports.

Video at link

http://www.click2houston.com/video/22196877/index.html