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By Steve Thompson
Dallas Morning News
FORT WORTH, Texas — A Fort Worth woman who authorities say was shot to death this past weekend by her husband was a mother of twins and a top-performing medical student due to graduate in May.
Irving police Officer Pablo Colonvega, 36, shot his wife, 34-year-old Makasha Colonvega, multiple times with a handgun, then shot himself in the head, inside their North Fort Worth home, authorities said.
“She would’ve had a brilliant career ahead of her,” Dr. Bruce Dubin, vice dean for academic affairs for the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, said in a written statement. “She was serious about her studies but always personable.
“Basically she was a young woman with her whole life and a wonderful future ahead of her.”
Mr. Colonvega joined the Irving Police Department in May 2005 after being in the military.
He attended the department’s training academy, and afterward he received two commendations, one for the arrest of burglary suspects and another for the arrest of theft suspects, Irving police said.
“This is very tragic, and it’s tough to deal with,” Irving police Lt. Richard Gilmette said. “The officers who knew him and went to training with him are affected by this.”
Mr. Colonvega had been on leave from the department for duty with the U.S. Army since May 2007, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.
“We don’t have anything in our files that have any mention of any issues or problems or anything while he was here,” Lt. Gilmette said.
“Our prayers go out to the family, and if there’s any assistance we can provide for them, we’ll do everything we can from our end to help them.”
The couple were found dead by Ms. Colonvega’s sister about 8:15 a.m. Sunday. Their 8-year-old twins were home at the time and unharmed. They were in the care of family members Monday.
Fort Worth police said they had not previously been called to the home in the 5300 block of Mineral Creek Drive, and neighbors said the couple seemed happy.
“Kasha, she’s an amazing person,” said a friend, Cathy Henson. “I don’t know how she did it [medical school] with her kids and everything.”
Staff writers Jon Nielsen and Wendy Hundley contributed to this report.
Copyright 2008 Dallas Morning News