Family of Brianna Aguilera Demands Answers After Texas A&M Student Dies Following Austin Tailgate Party

The family of 19-year-old Brianna Aguilera, a Texas A&M University student from Laredo, is demanding answers after she was found dead in Austin just hours after attending the Texas Longhorns–Texas A&M Aggies football game.

Aguilera was discovered early Saturday morning outside an apartment complex on the west side of the University of Texas campus. According to her mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death remain unclear, and communication with the Austin Police Department has been inconsistent.

Investigators told Rodriguez they believe Aguilera died by suicide. But Rodriguez strongly disputes that possibility, saying her daughter had no history of suicidal behavior and was excelling academically as she pursued her goal of becoming a lawyer.

Rodriguez told KSAT that she became alarmed late Friday when Aguilera stopped answering her phone after the game. She contacted police after tracking her daughter’s phone location to Austin, but says officers told her she would need to wait 24 hours before filing a missing person report. Aguilera’s phone was later recovered on Saturday, yet Rodriguez didn’t learn her daughter had been found dead until 4 p.m. that afternoon.

According to police, a good Samaritan located Aguilera’s body around 1 a.m. Saturday. Rodriguez said a detective later told her that Aguilera had fallen from 17 floors. She believes that people inside the apartment—around 15 individuals, according to Rodriguez—may know more than what has been shared.

She also claims her daughter had been involved in a fight with another girl earlier in the night, and that she has text messages documenting the incident. Rodriguez told KSAT that investigators dismissed those messages, deepening her concerns.

In a preliminary report released Monday, Austin police stated that Aguilera’s death is not being investigated as a homicide, saying the ongoing investigation has revealed no suspicious circumstances. The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office will make the final determination on the cause of death.

Texas A&M University said Monday it does not have a statement at this time.

Austin police confirmed that Aguilera died just before 1 a.m. on Saturday, November 29, at a student apartment complex near the UT campus. They added that, at this stage of the investigation, foul play is not suspected.

Aguilera’s family has launched a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses. The page describes her as a devoted student attending The Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M, a young woman “pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer” and “a year shy of attaining her Aggie ring.”

Rodriguez shared a tribute on the page, writing, “Although my princess is in a brighter realm, I take solace in the memories we created together. My baby angel and princess is with God, and I find peace in that truth.”

Originally from Laredo, Aguilera graduated from United High School, where she was an honors student and cheerleader. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.