The Texas Republican spoke for the first time about Regina Santos-Aviles’ suicide at a Texas Tribune Festival panel on Thursday.
SAN ANTONIO — Congressman Tony Gonzales on Thursday denied reports he was having an affair with a Uvalde-based staffer when she set herself on fire in September.
It was the first time the Texas Republican has publicly spoken about the September death of 35-year-old Regina Santos-Aviles, which sparked an investigation led by the Texas Rangers. Earlier this week, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled her manner of death as a suicide.
Gonzales, a Republican who represents a slice of Texas stretching from San Antonio to El Paso, made the comments at a Thursday panel at the Texas Tribune Festival, where he blasted rumors about him as “completely untruthful.”
At the same time, he praised Santos-Aviles’ commitment to the community.
“Regina’s family has asked for privacy. If it was your family or any of our families, I would argue that you would want privacy as well,” Gonzales said. “I don’t know exactly what happened. I’m waiting for a final report, I think that would make a lot of sense. But I would like everyone to remember Regina for all the wonderful things that she did for our community.”
Gonzales said those accomplishments include leading efforts to develop a new mental health facility in Uvalde, planning a new community center in Natalia and improving communication among local school districts. She also previously worked as executive director of the Uvalde Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Anyone that ever met her knew she was a kind, welcoming soul,” he added. “And that’s how everyone should remember her.”
Santos-Aviles died on Sept. 13 at her Uvalde home. Local authorities have said from the start there were no indications of foul play in her death, and a subsequent report from the Uvalde Leader News said Santos-Aviles had “doused herself in gasoline and was ignited into flames.”
Uvalde police determined by Sept. 23 that Santos-Aviles was alone in her backyard when she died.
According to LinkedIn, she had worked for Gonzales, whose district includes San Antonio and Uvalde, since 2021. The third-term Texas Republican said in an initial statement provided soon after her death was first reported that she would be remembered for working to make a difference in the lives of Texans.