Drawing from experience

In this young artist’s case, creativity is key to a beautiful life, even after tragedy

Story by Christina Hughes Babb | Photos by Kim Ritzenthaler Leeson

Lauren Buntenbah, the youngest artist to have work on display at the upscale Dutch Art Gallery in Lake Highlands, flashes a magnetic smile and offers a hearty handshake upon introductions. She is standing among the sculptures, itching to talk art. As she speaks, her fantastic imagination fills the surrounding air. When she draws, it spills onto her notebooks.

Her productivity, charisma and animated monologues about, among other things, the brilliance of Spongebob Squarepants, make it difficult to believe that her life, of late, has been incredibly sad.

In January 2012 Lauren’s brother Riley Rawlins was struck and killed by an unlicensed driver. The tragic news came during Lauren’s 8th birthday party. Riley and Lauren’s mom, Monica Rawlins, took the call. “They told me he had been in a horrible accident and was at the hospital,” she says.

Then she began screaming.

“I know I scared all of those little girls,” Rawlins recalls, “but I was not in my right mind. The news was just too shocking.” The family fled from the birthday party to Baylor hospital, where, a few hours later, doctors pronounced the 17-year-old Lake Highlands High School junior dead.

The case of Riley Rawlins’ death is infamous around Lake Highlands.

Those who witnessed the accident told police the speeding beige ’95 Lincoln struck Riley as he stepped into Royal Lane near Audelia. He hit the windshield, rolled over the top of the car and was dragged behind the vehicle for some 400 feet.

Driver Soraya Villanueva, 18, told officers at the scene that she was en route to work and was trying to “beat the yellow light.” She was traveling in the middle lane but swerved into the right lane to avoid a vehicle that already was stopped for the light. She estimated she was driving about 70 miles per hour when she hit Riley. That is double the speed limit there. She possessed no driver’s license, no insurance. She told police, according to their report, that getting a driver’s license was “too expensive.” Officers at the scene did not arrest Villanueva, and have not responded to our inquiries regarding the incident.

Riley’s family, friends and the community at large grew increasingly frustrated as weeks passed with no arrest. Almost 1,000 people signed a petition urging the prosecution of Villanueva. TV stations broadcast stories. Finally, in February 2012, police arrested Villanueva and charged her with criminally negligent homicide.

At the time of publication, Villanueva is out on $125,000 bond, has hired a defense attorney and is awaiting another hearing, and she and her attorney have not responded to a request for an interview.

Most of Riley’s friends and family members are angry and hurting, and until the person responsible for this pointless death is punished, Monica says, they cannot heal.

Lauren, however, seems unburdened by resentment.

As a kindergartener, Lauren began earning recognition for her entries to student art contests. A portrait of her family advanced to the state level of a national competition. This past year she struggled with an assigned theme, she says. “It was supposed to be ‘This Magic Moment,’ and I