A congressman’s aide lit herself on fire in a Texas backyard—now her family’s fury over affair whispers could shatter his career. 😢
She poured gasoline, screamed “I don’t want to die,” then vanished in flames… leaving a devoted mom, ex-husband, and young son shattered. Tabloids claim a steamy secret with her boss, but her kin blasts it as “completely false.” One haunting last call exposes the real heartbreak.
Dive into the denied drama ➡️
The grieving mom of a congressional aide who died after setting herself on fire last month denied claims her daughter was having an affair with her married boss, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas).
Regina Santos-Aviles’s mother, Nora Gonzales, shot down a Daily Mail report on Monday that Santos-Aviles had separated from her husband and had an affair with Gonzales before her death at her Uvalde, Texas, home on Sept. 13.
“I don’t think it has any merit,” Nora Gonzales told The Post, adding that the claims are “completely false.”
Nora Gonzales said she believes the report was “completely false.”
Nora found her daughter badly burned after Santos-Aviles doused herself in gasoline before igniting in the backyard of her home, according to cops and surveillance footage.
Santos-Aviles begged her for water and was later rushed to a nearby hospital, where she died. Nora told The Post she is unsure why her daughter doused herself in gasoline.
Surveillance footage reportedly indicated that no one else was home at the time.
The Post also reached out to Santos-Aviles’ husband, but he declined to comment.
Aviles separated from her husband after he became aware of the alleged tryst earlier this year, the Daily Mail reported.
Gonzales has also been silent since allegations of an affair between him and Aviles emerged.
Daily Mail cited multuple sources who said that the mother-of-one and Rep. Gonzales had been linked romantically before her grim death.
Gonzales is a married man with six children.
Rep. Gonzales’s spokesman repeatedly refused to deny the affair claims when pressed by the outlet and instead issued a statement accusing “political bottom feeders” of trying to distort the circumstances surrounding her death.
“Regina Aviles was a kind soul who had a lasting impact on her community, which she continued to serve until her untimely death,” the spokesman said.
“To see political bottom feeders distort the circumstances around her passing is truly sickening. Tony Gonzales remains laser-focused on delivering historic achievements for Texas and condemns any attempts to misuse this tragedy.”
Aviles started working for the GOP congressman as his regional director in 2021.
It wasn’t immediately clear when the alleged affair began, or if it was still going on when she died, the Daily Mail said.
“The last thing she said is, ‘I don’t want to die,” her mom Nora told the San Antonio Express News.
Nora also said that Aviles had been agitated over her 8-year-old son spending the weekend with her ex.
Rep. Gonzales publicly mourned Aviles’ death.
“We are all heart-stricken by the recent news. Regina devoted her profession toward making a difference in her community. She will always be remembered for her passion toward Uvalde and helping the community become a better place,” he said in a statement last month after her tragic death.
However, Nora Gonzales said she doesn’t remember her daughter’s boss attending the funeral — but admitted she was distressed and may have missed him.
The Texas rep had been spotted together with Aviles often, including during his visit to the US-Mexico border with tech baron Elon Musk.
Rep. Gonzales’ 23rd Congressional District in Texas encompasses parts of San Antonio, Uvalde, and El Paso. During the 2023 visit with Musk, El Paso had been a major hotspot of the border crisis.