Accidental or intentional? Regina Santos-Aviles Texas congress staffer douses herself in gasoline and then sets herself on fire and later dies of her injuries as her family insists the married mother of a young child would never intentionally kill herself.
A Texas Republican congressman staffer doused herself with gasoline before setting herself on fire and burning to death according to responding firefighters, despite the worker’s family saying her death was ‘accidental.’
Regina Santos-Aviles ‘doused herself in gasoline’ on September 13 at her Uvalde residence, firefighters said in a released report.
Why did congressional staffer douse herself in flames and set self on fire?
On Sept. 13, Santos-Aviles, 35, who worked as a regional district director for Congressman Tony Gonzales, caught on fire and suffered ‘significant injuries.’ She later died due to her injuries.
Nearby gasoline cans were extinguished when firefighters arrived according to the Uvalde Leader News.
Officials did not say whether the staffer deliberately started the fatal blaze, but the Uvalde Police Department said it does not suspect anybody else was involved in her death or that there was any foul play.
Santos-Aviles was found alive and still ablaze by her own mother around 9:30 p.m. that night, and was helicoptered to a nearby hospital.
Despite the apparent self-immolation, her family remained adamant that whatever happened was accidental.
‘Her last words were, ‘I don’t want to die,’’ a member of her family told KSAT.
Devoted mother and devoted staffer. So what went wrong?
Santos-Aviles was alone when the fire started, home surveillance footage obtained by investigators showed.
A mother to an 8-year-old boy, Santos-Aviles was remembered as being full of life and devoted to bettering her Texas community.
‘She loved life and loved her family and loved everyone and loved doing for others,’ Rep. Gonzales previously told the San Antonio Express-News.
‘She loved the work that she did and how she helped the communities get funding for things they needed,’ he added.
It remained unclear what motivating factors may have existed that may have led to the married mother of a young son to take her own life. Or whether the staffer had been struggling with mental illness.
Santos-Aviles started working in Gonzales’ office as a regional district director in 2021, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The third-term Texas Republican said in a statement soon after her death was reported that she would be remembered for working to make a difference in the lives of Texans, KENS5 reported.
‘We are all heart-stricken by the recent news,’ he wrote. ‘She will always be remembered for her passion towards Uvalde and helping the community become a better place.’
The investigation into her death remains ongoing, and law enforcement said it could be weeks until a final report from medical examiners is ready.
