The mother of a 19-year-old Texas A&M University student who died in Austin early Saturday morning has raised concerns regarding the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death.
Brianna Aguilera, a Texas A&M sophomore from Laredo, died early Saturday morning in Austin, according to a GoFundMe account created by the student’s family.
The Austin Police Department (APD) said officers responded to a report of an unresponsive person at 2101 Rio Grande St. Police identified that person as an adult female who was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:57 a.m. APD did not disclose the woman’s identity to the press until Tuesday afternoon and said the incident was not being investigated as a homicide. The investigation remained active as of Tuesday, according to APD, and the department said it “extends our heartfelt condolences to Brianna Aguilera’s Family, friends, and all who are grieving her loss.”
Aguilera’s mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, indicated in a social media post on Monday that her daughter may have fallen from an apartment building.
“My daughter would not jump 17 stories from a building, and to be labeling this as a suicide is insane,” Rodriguez wrote on social media. “My daughter loved life and was excited to graduate and pursue her career in law. Austin PD and Detective Marshall is not doing his job!”
Rodriguez told Laredo TV station KGNS that police told her family they suspected the death to be suicide or accidental.
APD has not released a suspected cause of death and said in a statement to Houston Public Media that Aguilera’s cause of death will be determined by the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office. Authorities did not confirm whether or not Aguilera fell from the building and said the investigation was ongoing.
According to the GoFundMe created by Aguilera’s family — which had raised $32,675 as of Tuesday — Aguilera was attending a tailgate party for the University of Texas vs. Texas A&M football game in Austin on Friday night.
“The details surrounding what happened next remain unclear, and her mother is still awaiting answers,” the family wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Our hearts are shattered. In an effort to ease the financial burden on Brianna’s mother and loved ones during this unimaginable time, we are asking family, friends, and all who knew or knew of Bri to consider offering a donation.”
According to the Laredo TV station, which spoke with Rodriguez, Aguilera’s mother was informed about her daughter’s death at 4 p.m. Saturday. Before being notified by police, Rodriguez, who lives in Laredo, said she reached out to APD because she had not been able to get in contact with her daughter.
A spokesperson for the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office said it typically takes between 30 and 90 days for autopsy reports to be released, adding that preliminary reports are not released.
Great Job & the Team @ Houston Public Media for sharing this story.
