SAN ANTONIO – The Uvalde Police Department on Monday released the report made by officers who responded to the home of Representative Tony Gonzales’ aide in September.
The report was released after Gonzales demanded that Uvalde police release the report on X.
“Disgusting to see people profit politically and financially off a tragic death,” he wrote on X on Thursday. “The public should IMMEDIATELY have full access to the Uvalde Police report. I will keep fighting for #TX23."
In the report, several officers said they arrived at the home of Regina Santos-Aviles and found a woman, later identified as Santos-Aviles, with severe burn injuries.
One officer said in the report that Santos-Aviles told the officer she learned that her husband had been having an affair with her best friend. Because of that, Santos-Aviles said she poured gasoline on herself and set herself on fire.
Several officers noted that there was video of Santos-Aviles pouring gasoline on herself. According to the report, the video shows Santos-Aviles walking into the backyard, pouring liquid from a gas canister and lighting herself on fire.
The report also detailed two 911 calls made that night. In one call, a woman could be heard yelling, “Please send help, it burns so bad.” A second call came from Santos-Aviles’ mother asking for help for her daughter.
A detective interviewed Santos-Aviles estranged husband, Adrian, several hours after she died. During the interview, Adrian told the investigator that his wife had been taking antidepressants and consuming alcohol, sometimes mixing the two.
Adrian also mentioned that she had made threats to harm herself in the past. He told the detective that during one incident, she pointed a gun at her head.
Investigators also spoke to several others who knew Santos-Aviles. One person told investigators that Santos-Aviles texted him, accusing her husband of sleeping with her best friend.
Another friend spoke of how Santos-Aviles was at his home, telling his wife she wanted her family back. The same person said that her alleged affair put a heavy strain on Santos-Aviles’ marriage, but that the couple was trying to work things out for the sake of their son. However, the statement did not say who she was allegedly having an affair with.
The report was released hours after text messages allegedly between the congressman and Santos-Aviles were sent to KSAT by Aviles’ attorney. The texts, Aviles claims, show the couple was having an affair.
In an early Sunday morning post to X, Gonzales characterized the story as a “coordinated political attack” days before the March 3 primary.
“During my six years in Congress not a single formal complaint has been levied against my office,” Gonzales wrote. “IT WONT WORK.”
Aviles responded to Gonzales’ post several hours later. He described the congressman as a “homewrecking, perverted, sick man” and called on President Donald Trump to pull his endorsement of him.
“This isn’t ‘coordinated political attacks.’ This is exposing the real Tony Gonzales,” Aviles wrote. “This is tragedy you helped create, and you refuse to own it.”
On Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Gonzales must address the “accusations” with his constituents.
“It is my understanding there’s an investigation in the State of Texas on these matters and has been going on for some time. The Office of Congressional Conduct, it has been reported, they’ve been looking at it. All of that was news to me,” Johnson said. “I think, as in every case like this, you have to allow the investigations to play out and all the facts to come out. I’ve been intellectually consistent about this, whether you’re talking about Republicans and Democrats. You have to let the system play out.”
KSAT Investigates also reached out to Gonzales’ office twice for comment Monday, and more than two dozen times since September. So far, there has been no response.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, call 988 or text TALK to 741-741.
You can also reach out to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) or the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) at 210-223-7233 (SAFE) or 800-316-9241. You can also text NAMI to 741-741.
Resources can also be found at the link here.
More coverage of this story on KSAT: