Death of Texas Rep. Gonzales staffer Regina Santos-Aviles ruled suicide

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

A cause of death has been determined in the case of Regina Santos-Aviles, a staffer for Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas, who died after an incident in which she caught fire at her home in September.

Santos-Aviles’ death was ruled a suicide by self-immolation, according to Texas Public Radio, citing the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office.

She was found critically burned in her backyard the night of Sept. 13 after emergency crews responded to reports of a disturbance around 9:30 p.m., the outlet reported.

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Paramedics airlifted her to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where she died early the next morning, Sept. 14.

Santos-Aviles had served as regional district director for the congressman, her LinkedIn profile indicates.

In an interview Thursday at The Texas Tribune Festival, Gonzales said he was not yet aware of the exact circumstances of her death.

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“I don’t know exactly what happened,” Gonzales told KSAT.com. “No one’s contacted me; I haven’t contacted anyone.”

“I’m waiting for a final report,” he added. “I think that would make a lot of sense.”

Gonzales asked that people remember Santos-Aviles for her dedication to her community.

“I would hope that everyone remembers her for her passion, for her job, her commitment to the community,” he said.

He credited her with helping champion several initiatives, including school safety, a new mental health facility in Uvalde, and a community center in Natalia.

In a statement to Fox News Digital in September, Gonzales paid tribute to his former colleague.

“We are devastated by the loss of Regina Santos-Aviles, who was a valued member of our team and an extraordinary community leader,” Gonzales said. “The contributions she made to her beloved Uvalde community and the surrounding area will never be forgotten.”

Uvalde Police Chief Homer Delgado previously said there had been no sign of foul play.

Fox News’ Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.