Texas A&M Cheerleader Brianna Aguilera, 19, Found Dead After Football Game; Mother Says Teen Was Killed and Raises Questions About Investigation

The mother of Texas A&M cheerleader Brianna Aguilera, the 19-year-old found dead in Austin after attending a college football tailgate, says a troubling phone detail and unanswered questions have convinced her that her daughter was killed — despite police saying they currently see no signs of foul play.

Aguilera, a Texas A&M junior from Laredo, was discovered around 1 a.m. Saturday outside an Austin apartment complex, hours after attending the UT vs. Texas A&M tailgate on Friday night.

Mother Says Daughter’s Phone Behavior Was “Weird” the Night She Died

Brianna’s mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, told KGNS she became alarmed when she couldn’t reach her daughter — something she says was unusual.

“What was weird to me was her phone was on Do Not Disturb,” Rodriguez said. “We always had a rule: if she went out, her location stays on, and she answers my texts. That stopped around 6 p.m.”

 

Concerned, she contacted the Austin Police Department, but was told she could not file a missing persons report because not enough time had passed. She said Brianna’s phone continued pinging near a creek — a detail that terrified her.

“All these murders are coming out in Austin and bodies have been found in creeks,” she said. “Her phone stayed in the same location into Saturday morning.”

Teen’s Body Found Near Apartment Complex

A passerby located Aguilera’s body later that day. Rodriguez received a call at 4 p.m. Saturday from police notifying her that her daughter had been taken to the morgue. Brianna was identified through fingerprints.

Police reportedly told the family the death may have been accidental or a suicide — something her mother strongly rejects.

“This was not accidental,” Rodriguez wrote in a Facebook post. “My daughter would not jump 17 stories. To label this as a suicide is insane. She loved life and was excited to graduate and practice law.”

Family Says They Are Being Left in the Dark

Rodriguez said her daughter’s autopsy was conducted Sunday, with results still pending.

On Monday, the family traveled to Austin to meet with the lead investigator — and left even more frustrated.

“I demanded another detective. They said no,” Rodriguez said. She claimed investigators told her they were “eyeballing” the height Aguilera fell from because “their geometric system was broken.”

Rodriguez also says police did not enter the apartment shared by Brianna’s friends or perform immediate interviews.

“They told me they saw a group of friends go in and come out — but my daughter was not with them,” she said. “They interviewed the girls a whole day later, at 1 p.m. Saturday. That’s unacceptable.”

According to Rodriguez, around 15 people were in the apartment that night, and she believes someone knows more than they have disclosed.

She also says there was a fight between Brianna and another girl earlier in the night — supported by text messages she shared — but claims the detective “disregarded” that information.

Police Say No Evidence Yet of Homicide

Austin police confirmed the investigation is ongoing but said they currently have no indication of suspicious circumstances.

“At this time, the incident is not being investigated as a homicide,” a spokesperson told The Post. “The cause of death will be determined by the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office.”

The medical examiner has not yet commented.

Community Mourning the Loss

A GoFundMe supporting the family has raised nearly $20,000.

“My daughter had such a beautiful impact on the community of Laredo,” Rodriguez said. “She wanted to come back home and practice law. She had so many dreams.”

The investigation remains active, and the family is continuing to call for answers.