UVALDE, Texas – 911 calls, police reports, and video related to the fiery death of Regina Santos-Aviles, a congressional staffer for U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, will not be released, according to a ruling from the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
Santos-Aviles died on Sept. 14 after catching on fire in her backyard alone, the Uvalde Police Department previously confirmed to KSAT Investigates. The Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled her death a suicide.
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The Uvalde Police Department, which is investigating her death with the Texas Rangers, does not believe anyone else was involved.
In September, KSAT and several other news agencies requested records from the city of Uvalde about the investigation.
On Dec. 19, records show the Attorney General’s office sided with the city, allowing the records to remain private.
The ruling cited two different exceptions: one that allows law-enforcement agencies to withhold records if releasing them could interfere with a criminal investigation. The other allows the state to keep information confidential when another law requires it.
In an Oct. 24 letter to the attorney general’s office, an attorney representing the City of Uvalde stated the investigation into Santos-Aviles’ death would soon be closed without any criminal charges being filed.
The Daily Mail and multiple national outlets have reported that Gonzales and Santos-Aviles were having an affair, which they say began after she joined the office in 2021.
Gonzales has repeatedly refused interviews and questions from KSAT since her death, most recently refusing to answer questions in November.
In October, Javier Guerra, an attorney who then represented Santos-Aviles’ husband, Adrian Aviles, told KSAT Investigates that Aviles worried about the release of records related to his wife.
Bobby Barrera, who Aviles has since retained to represent him, shared the following statement with KSAT on Friday about the ruling:
“I’m so happy that the AG’s Office has recognized that this is a private family tragedy. Public disclosure would have obviously just been used for adverse political purposes.”
KSAT Investigates asked Uvalde police for an update on their investigation on Dec. 18 and has yet to hear back. Uvalde PD previously said they are working with the Texas Rangers on the investigation.
Background
Paramedics, firefighters and police responded to Santos-Aviles’ home in Uvalde around 9:30 p.m. Sept. 13 for a disturbance, according to a UPD call sheet.
A close family member said Santos-Aviles, who was the Uvalde Regional District Director, was airlifted to San Antonio to be treated for extensive burns after being found on fire in front of her porch.
Santos-Aviles was pronounced dead just after 6:30 a.m. Sept. 14, the medical examiner’s office said. They said she died by self-immolation, and ruled her death as a suicide.
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.
“Her last words were, ‘I don’t want to die,’” a family member told KSAT.
Sgt. Rene Cordova with the Texas Rangers told KSAT in September that 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 was a staffer for the congressman.
In September, Uvalde police officials said they are waiting for final reports from the Texas DPS Crime Laboratory and the medical examiner’s office, which could take weeks.
The Uvalde Police Department said it would not provide any more details about the investigation until those reports are finalized.
KSAT reached out to Uvalde police via email on Dec. 18 for an update and has not heard back.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.