UVALDE, Texas – Regina Santos-Aviles, who was a congressional staffer for U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, “doused herself in gasoline,” before she caught on fire, according to a report from the Uvalde Leader-News.
According to a Uvalde Volunteer Fire Department report obtained by the Uvalde Leader-News, police told responding firefighters that Santos-Aviles had “doused herself in gasoline and was ignited into flames.”
>> Uvalde PD: Congressional staffer for US Rep. Gonzales was alone in backyard when she caught fire
Santos-Aviles was alone in her backyard when she caught on fire, the Uvalde Police Department previously confirmed to KSAT Investigates. The agency does not believe anyone else was involved.
The Uvalde Leader-News reported that firefighters also put out a burning gas can in the backyard.
As of Monday night, an employee with the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office said Santos-Aviles’ cause and manner of death are still pending.
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.
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 earlier this month 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.
Uvalde police officials said last week 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.
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