AUSTIN, Texas – The mother of a Texas A&M University student found dead after a night out in Austin is demanding answers and questioning what she has been told about her daughter’s final hours.
19-year-old Brianna Aguilera, a sophomore at Texas A&M from Laredo, was found dead after traveling to Austin for the Aggies–Longhorns game, tailgating and later going to a party at a downtown high-rise apartment building.
“It’s just so unbearable and unimaginable what happened to her that night and I don’t have answers. I don’t have any answers,” her mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, said.
Rodriguez, a mental health professional, said her daughter was not suicidal and described her as a driven, happy student.
“She loved life, she was full of life, she loved school, she was very studious,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said Brianna went to a tailgate and then a gathering at a high-rise apartment. At some point, she said, the communication she relied on to feel her daughter was safe suddenly stopped.
“Her phone was even placed on do not disturb, and she never does that,” Rodriguez said. “Our rule was okay, you go out, but you leave your location on, and if I call you, you answer.”
Hours later, she received the call she had feared.
“I get a call an hour later, about 4 p.m., and they told me that my daughter was deceased in a morgue,” Rodriguez said.
Since then, she said, what she has heard about what happened that night “doesn’t make sense.”
“There’s a lot of inconsistencies with the story,” Rodriguez said. “He told me that they said she jumped, and then he told me that the friends said that they didn’t know her whereabouts, that they didn’t see her, they saw the balcony door open, so they just closed it.”
Rodriguez said she was told there were about 14 or 15 people inside the apartment.
“There was 15 people in that apartment,” she said. “The surveillance video from what he told me, about 15, 14, 15 people in that apartment were in there. How could not one of them see anything?”
Rodriguez also said there had been a confrontation involving her daughter.
“Now there was a fight that happened between my daughter and another girl and they were all staying in the same apartment that I have actual text messages of and the detective just, he disregarded them,” she said.
Rodriguez said the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office shared disturbing details with her about Brianna’s condition.
“When I spoke to the medical examiner, they’re telling me that they found her severely beaten up,” she said. “Of course, she’s non-viewable, and they found tree branches in her hair. The tree is very separated from the complex. So I know somebody must have shoved her.”
The Austin Police Department said Aguilera’s death remains under active investigation. Detectives are interviewing witnesses, reviewing surveillance video and working through the evidence, the department said.
At this point in the investigation, Austin police say “the facts obtained do not indicate this is a homicide.” The case is being treated as a death investigation.
In a statement, the department said every loss in the community “is taken seriously” and that “every life is deserving of care, dignity, and a complete investigative process.” Austin police extended “heartfelt condolences to Brianna Aguilera’s family, friends, and all who are grieving her loss.”
Texas A&M University also released a statement calling Aguilera’s death heartbreaking.
“It is always heartbreaking when one of our students passes away,” the university said. “The Texas A&M University community joins the family and friends of Brianna Aguilera in mourning her untimely passing.”
Rodriguez said her daughter had big plans for her future, including law school. Brianna was preparing to take the LSAT, her mother said, and would have turned 20 next month.
“My daughter deserves justice,” Rodriguez said. “I want to know what happened.”
Austin Police Department
“The case involving the death of Brianna Aguilera remains open, active, and under thorough investigation. Multiple detectives continue to interview witnesses, gather evidence, and work carefully through the details of the incident. At this stage in the investigation, the facts obtained do not indicate that this is a homicide. This case continues to be treated strictly as a death investigation, and there is no evidence to suggest or support any suspicious or criminal circumstances surrounding Ms. Aguilera’s passing. The cause of death will be determined by the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Every loss in our community is taken seriously, and every life is deserving of care, dignity, and a complete investigative process. Austin Police extends our heartfelt condolences to Brianna Aguilera’s family, friends, and all who are grieving her loss. We recognize the deep pain that accompanies the unexpected passing of a loved one, and our thoughts remain with those who are navigating this difficult time. Our detectives remain committed to investigating the full details surrounding the death of Ms. Aguilera.
We will continue to share new details as they become available.”
Texas A&M University
“It is always heartbreaking when one of our students passes away. The Texas A&M University community joins the family and friends of Brianna Aguilera in mourning her untimely passing. The university offers free resources, including mental health counseling, for students, faculty and staff who need support during this difficult time. More information is available at https://mentalhealth.tamu.edu/.”