Tuesday, November 12, 2013: Earlier today, I received word that Sister Brenner has passed away at the age of 86. I should not even know who Sister Brenner is. I will get into that in a second. If there was ever a person who left this world in better shape then when she found it, it was Sister Brenner. Just when I did not think the situation with Samantha’s abduction could get worse back in August 2010, it did. It was then that I met Sister Brenner. It truly was an honor. I am sure the thousands of other people that crossed paths with Sister Brenner feel the same way.
On the heels of a Supreme Court decision that was in our favor, Adriana Coronel Tenorio (AKA Adriana Howitt Coronel, Ari Coronel, Ari Coronel Tenorio, Ari Howitt, Ari Howitt Coronel), her friend and Maria Guadalupe Tenorio Toledano (AKA Lupita Tenorio, Marsha Tenorio) had planned and executed an ambush of me by the Tijuana Police Department, right in front of my Samantha. The short of it is that I ended up in the infamous La Mesa Prison in Tijuana as a result of this ambush. Google “La Mesa Prison Tijuana” sometime to see just how gnarly this place is. I can still see in my mind, the bullet holes in the walls from the recent riot there that claimed dozens on lives. I can still remember what that place smelled like. The walls inside covered in graffiti. The 10’x10′ cell crammed with 30+ other people. The 1/2 wall that separated the common area of this cell from the make shift bathroom: furnished with a sink, a bucket and a concrete block with a hole in it to do your business.
Then there was Sister Brenner. Sister Brenner was born in Los Angeles. For the last 30+ years Sister Brenner made it her mission to comfort the inmates at La Mesa. She was a fascinating woman. Affectionately known within the walls at La Mesa as “Mama”. I am not the first gringo to have stayed in La Mesa. For some reason we met and talked twice while I was there. I have not been able to explain it, although I have tried. After we talked the first time I felt this calm/peace that I had not felt since Samantha was abducted. I felt like something was watching over me and that everything was going to be OK. I will never forget it. When we met the second time, she commented on how much better I looked since the first meeting. I was able to channel the rage and anger I had for what Adriana had done to force the circumstances surrounding my stay at La Mesa into one of constructive energy. Thank you Sister Brenner. You will definitely be missed. Rest in Peace
The LA Times did an amazing piece on Sister Brenner. Check it out.
