Death of Congressman Tony Gonzales’s Aide Now Under Criminal Investigation
UVALDE, TX — The death of Regina Santos-Aviles is now part of a criminal investigation. She was 35 years old and worked as regional district director for U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales. Police said she died in September after setting herself on fire at her home in Uvalde.
At first, Uvalde Police Chief Homer Delgado told reporters there was no indication of foul play. Weeks later, Uvalde officials informed the Texas Attorney General that investigators are treating the case as a pending criminal matter.
According to the San Antonio Express-News, Uvalde City Attorney Francisco Garza sent a letter to the Attorney General explaining that police reports, 911 calls, and witness statements could not be released. Garza said the investigation remains active and incomplete. The Attorney General agreed that the records should stay sealed.
The change in classification came after questions arose about the circumstances surrounding Santos-Aviles’s death. The Express-News reported that the Uvalde Police Department told the Attorney General’s Office the case could lead to criminal prosecution and that public release of information could affect the ongoing investigation.
Family members told the Express-News that Santos-Aviles was upset on the night of her death because her eight-year-old son was staying with his father. Her mother said she went to the home and found her daughter badly burned. She recalled that her daughter’s last words were, “I don’t want to die.” Santos-Aviles was airlifted to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where she died the next morning.
Officials said Santos-Aviles was alone when the fire started. Police found no evidence that anyone else was involved. Her family believes the incident was accidental.
The Uvalde Police Department and Texas Rangers continue to investigate the case. City officials have not released a timeline for when more information will be made public.
Congressman Tony Gonzales represents Texas’s 23rd Congressional District. He has not responded to new questions about the case but previously called reports about his aide’s death “politically motivated distortions.”
The decision to classify the death as a criminal investigation has drawn renewed attention in Uvalde and beyond. The lack of transparency from local and state officials continues to raise questions about how the case is being handled.
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