SAN ANTONIO – As the Texas Rangers and Uvalde police continue their investigation into the death of a congressional staff member for U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, KSAT 12 and other media outlets have been uninvited from a San Antonio event he is set to appear at next week.
Gonzales will visit the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) on Monday, Sept. 22, for the grand opening of a new research facility.
On Wednesday, the institute invited media to interview Gonzales, as well as SwRI executives, hours before KSAT Investigates reported on the death of Gonzales’ Uvalde regional director, Regina Santos-Aviles.
Santos-Aviles, 35, died over the weekend after a close family member said she caught on fire.
According to Santos-Aviles’ LinkedIn page and previous media reports, she left her position as executive director of the Uvalde Area Chamber of Commerce in November 2021 to serve as the regional director for Gonzales’ office in Uvalde.
Gonzales provided a statement on Wednesday, saying in part he was “heart-stricken” by the loss, and recognized her impact on the Uvalde community.
KSAT Investigates has called and texted Gonzales and his communications director, Alyssa Gulick, a combined total of 13 times since Wednesday for more information about Santos-Aviles.
Neither has responded to KSAT’s requests, but Gonzales has been active on his X account and Gulick sent out an unrelated press release.
On Friday afternoon, a spokeswoman for SwRI said Monday’s media event was canceled. She confirmed to KSAT that Gonzales will still be in attendance for the now-private event.
KSAT asked if news outlets were no longer invited at Gonzales’ request, but we have not heard back.
Background
Paramedics, firefighters and police responded to Santos-Aviles’ Uvalde home around 9:30 p.m. Saturday for a disturbance, according to a UPD call sheet.
A close family member said Santos-Aviles was airlifted to San Antonio to be treated for extensive burns after being found on fire in front of her porch.
A Bexar County Medical Examiner’s office employee confirmed Santos-Aviles was pronounced dead just after 6:30 a.m. Sunday.
In a phone interview with KSAT, family members were adamant that Santos-Aviles’ death was an accident, adding that there was a water hose outside of the home.
The M.E.’s office is still investigating the cause and manner of her death as of Friday, and an employee said it could take several weeks.
“Her last words were ‘I don’t want to die,’” a family member told KSAT this week.
Family members also told KSAT she was a great wife and mother to her young son.
In a statement to KSAT on Wednesday, Uvalde Police Chief Homer Delgado called Santos-Aviles’ death a “tragic loss.” Uvalde police declined to make anyone available for an interview, but noted that there is no indication of foul play.
Sgt. Rene Cordova with the Texas Rangers told KSAT on Friday they are assisting UPD with the investigation, adding that it’s a “procedure thing.”
Cordova denied that the Rangers were called in because Santos-Aviles is a staffer for the congressman.
KSAT also contacted the Uvalde Volunteer Fire Department for comment and will update this story when we hear back.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.