The community of Uvalde, Texas, continues to grapple with the tragic loss of Regina Aviles, 35, a senior aide to Congressman Tony Gonzales (R-TX), who sustained fatal injuries in a fire at her home on September 13. Transported to a San Antonio hospital, Aviles succumbed to her injuries the following day.
Aviles joined Gonzales's staff as a regional district director on November 21, 2021, and had been an active and visible figure in her role. She was married and the mother of an eight-year-old son, from whom she had separated.
Following her death, the Daily Mail reported allegations from multiple anonymous sources of a romantic relationship between Aviles and Congressman Gonzales. Despite being given multiple opportunities, Gonzales's spokesman declined to deny these allegations when contacted by the publication. According to these sources, Aviles's marriage with her husband Adrian, who operates a video surveillance business, had ended earlier in the year after he allegedly became aware of the affair. The couple continued to co-parent their son, and security cameras installed by Adrian at their former home captured footage of the incident.
The Uvalde Police Department has confirmed that video evidence is under review by the Texas Department of Public Safety crime lab. The details surrounding Aviles's death remain under investigation, with a statement from the police department indicating no suggestion of involvement by anyone else at the scene.
Gonzales, who has not publicly addressed the incident on his social media, has expressed his condolences through a statement from his office, describing Aviles as "a kind soul" and condemning the politicization of her death.
The congressman, a father of six, did not attend Aviles's funeral service, according to sources. As the community awaits the medical examiner's official autopsy results, questions continue to arise about the circumstances leading up to the tragedy.
The incident has caught the attention of social media, with users like The Fat Electrician tweeting about the alleged affair and Aviles's subsequent death. The local community and political observers await further developments as the investigation progresses.
