A staffer for Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) died after a horrific backyard fire in Uvalde earlier this month, shocking her family, colleagues, and community.
According to a report obtained by the Uvalde Leader News, 35-year-old Regina Santos-Aviles doused herself in gasoline before being engulfed in flames on the night of September 13. Firefighters who responded to the scene said they arrived to find gasoline cans burning in the yard, which they quickly extinguished.
Santos-Aviles’ mother reportedly found her daughter still ablaze around 9:30 p.m. She was airlifted to a nearby hospital but did not survive.
While officials have not confirmed whether the fire was set intentionally, the Uvalde Police Department said it found no evidence of foul play. Surveillance footage confirmed that Santos-Aviles was alone at the time. Despite the official report, her family insists the tragedy was accidental. “Her last words were, ‘I don’t want to die,’” one relative told KSAT.
A devoted mother to an 8-year-old son, Santos-Aviles was remembered as a loving, joyful woman who worked tirelessly for her community. Rep. Gonzales praised her dedication, noting that she had been instrumental in helping Texas towns secure much-needed federal funding. “She loved life and loved her family and loved doing for others,” Gonzales told the San Antonio Express-News.
