The tragic suicide of Regina Santos-Aviles, a congressional staffer in Uvalde, Texas, has thrown a harsh spotlight on the personal and political turmoil surrounding U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales just as he faces a tough primary challenge. Newly released records, explicit text messages, and interviews have pieced together a story that is as complex as it is heartbreaking, raising questions about power, accountability, and the devastating impacts of personal crises played out in the public eye.
Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, 35, died in September 2025 after setting herself on fire in the backyard of her Uvalde home. According to records obtained by the San Antonio Express-News and KSAT Investigates, Santos-Aviles called 911 at 9:30 p.m. on September 13, screaming in agony: "Please send help. It hurts so bad. Oh my God, I don't want to die." First responders found her on the front porch, and she was airlifted to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where she died the next morning. The Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled her death a suicide by self-inflicted thermal injuries.
The lead-up to this tragedy is fraught with allegations, denials, and a swirl of political consequences. Santos-Aviles had served as the director of Rep. Tony Gonzales' regional office in Uvalde since November 2021. In early May 2024, a series of sexually explicit text messages between Gonzales and Santos-Aviles surfaced. According to CBS News, these messages showed Gonzales requesting a "sexy pic" and later asking, "what's your favorite position?" Santos-Aviles responded with discomfort, texting, "This is going too far boss. So how long have you thought I was this hot?" and later, "Please tell me you didn't just hire me because I was hot." Gonzales replied, "No way."
These exchanges, which occurred after midnight, were not isolated. Bobby Barrera, the attorney for Santos-Aviles' husband, Adrian Aviles, told KSAT that the affair lasted about a month and that Aviles discovered the relationship in June 2024. The couple separated that summer but did not file for divorce. Barrera said, "Regina's husband knew about the monthlong affair, which he said came to light in June 2024. The couple separated that summer because of the affair." Adrian Aviles provided KSAT with nine screenshots of the explicit messages to support his claims.
On June 1, 2024, a text from Santos-Aviles' phone—sent by her husband—alerted Gonzales and other staffers to the affair. It read, "Just a heads up this is Adrian Aviles, Regina’s soon to be ex-husband. I just wanted to inform all of you that we will be getting a divorced after my discovery of text messages and pictures, that’s she been having an affair on me with your boss Tony Gonzales for some time now."
The fallout was swift and severe. According to CBS News, Santos-Aviles' mental health declined sharply after the relationship ended. Barrera, representing Aviles, blamed this decline on the congressman's conduct. The couple, who had been married eight years and shared parenting responsibilities for their 8-year-old son, continued to co-parent despite their separation.
In the weeks before her death, Santos-Aviles' emotional distress became more apparent. On the night of her suicide, she went to Applebee's with friends, bought a bottle of tequila, and was described as "pretty sad about the situation and was saying she wanted her family back," according to police interviews cited by the San Antonio Express-News. Before setting herself on fire, she texted a friend of her husband: "Tell Baller I'm setting myself on fire right now, so have fun raising our son," and sent a five-second video of herself pouring gasoline on her body. Security footage reviewed by police showed her methodically pouring gasoline and using a lighter, then attempting to extinguish the flames by rolling on the ground and using a garden hose.
First responders reported that Santos-Aviles told them she set herself on fire because she had discovered her estranged husband was romantically involved with her best friend. This revelation added another layer of heartbreak and confusion to an already fraught situation. Adrian Aviles told police that his wife had a history of mental health struggles, including antidepressant use, alcohol consumption, and previous threats of self-harm. Police records detail an incident in August 2025 in which Santos-Aviles contacted her husband while pointing a firearm at her own head, though officers concluded she did not intend to harm herself at that time.
Friends and acquaintances interviewed by police confirmed a pattern of mental instability dating back years. One friend told investigators that Santos-Aviles "had possibly been to a mental health hospital in her teenage years." Police found a prescription bottle for Adderall in her car, and her history of mixing alcohol with medication was noted in the reports.
Following Santos-Aviles' death, the Uvalde Police Department conducted an investigation and, in November 2025, found no evidence of foul play. The Bexar County Medical Examiner confirmed the cause of death as suicide. Despite the official findings, the political fallout has been intense and ongoing.
The explicit texts and the affair allegations have become a flashpoint in the heated March 2026 Republican primary for Texas' 23rd Congressional District, a seat Gonzales is fighting to retain. Gonzales, who narrowly won his last primary by fewer than 400 votes, faces a challenge from gun rights activist Brandon Herrera. President Trump has endorsed Gonzales, but the controversy has drawn bipartisan condemnation. Republican Representatives Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace have both called for Gonzales to resign, with Boebert urging the House Republican campaign arm to support Herrera and Mace calling the allegations "deeply disturbing" and an "abuse of power."
Gonzales has denied the affair, stating at a Texas Tribune Festival panel in November 2024 that the "rumors are completely untruthful." He also accused Barrera of attempting to blackmail him, sharing a letter proposing a $300,000 settlement with a non-disclosure agreement. "Disgusting to see people profit politically and financially off a tragic death," Gonzales posted on social media. Barrera countered that the letter was a standard confidential settlement offer, not an attempt at extortion.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has called the allegations "very serious" but emphasized the need for investigations to run their course. "You have to allow investigations to play out," Johnson told reporters, noting that the Office of Congressional Conduct had opened an ethics investigation into Gonzales months before the affair allegations became public. "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."
As the primary approaches, the tragedy of Regina Santos-Aviles' death remains at the center of a political storm—one that has upended families, careers, and the trust of a community still searching for answers. The story is a stark reminder of how personal and political lives can collide with devastating consequences, leaving behind pain, unanswered questions, and a legacy of loss that no election can resolve.