Editor’s Note: This article contains discussions of suicide. Reader discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can find resources in your area on the National Crisis Line website or by calling 988.
(NewsNation) — A Texas A&M student was found dead early Saturday after a college tailgate party at the University of Texas at Austin, and now, her mother is demanding answers.
Brianna Aguilera, 19, was in Austin for a tailgate party for the rivalry matchup between the UT Austin and Texas A&M football teams Friday, Nov. 28.
Aguilera was discovered just hours after the tailgate at around 1 a.m. near a West Campus apartment and was pronounced dead at the scene, as reported by local NewsNation affiliate KXAN in Austin.
Police aren’t investigating Aguilera’s death as a homicide
Aguilera’s mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, told local outlet KGNS that investigators believe her daughter either intentionally jumped or accidentally fell from 17 floors.
Rodriguez said that police told her that her daughter had “become intoxicated” and was subsequently kicked out of the tailgate party she attended, as reported by local outlet KEYE. She then returned to the apartment of her friends where she was staying.
Additional details surrounding what happened after the tailgate “remain unclear, and her mother is still awaiting answers,” according to a GoFundMe post by Aguilera’s family.
Austin police said the incident isn’t currently being investigated as a homicide, as “there are no indications of suspicious circumstances.”
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.
– Full statement from Austin Police on Brianna Aguilera death
‘My daughter loved life’: Rodriguez
Rodriguez has stated publicly that she disagrees with how police have handled the investigation so far, casting serious doubt that her daughter would have died by suicide.
“My daughter loved life and was excited to graduate and pursue her career in Law. Austin PD and Detective Marshall are not doing their jobs!” Rodriguez wrote in a Facebook post Monday.
“This was not accidental someone killed my brie and gave all the group of friends a lot of time to come up with the same story.” Rodriguez wrote. “My daughter would not jump 17 stories from a building and to be labeling this as a suicide is insane.”
‘There are a lot of inconsistencies’: Rodriguez
Rodriguez told local outlet KSAT that she believes one of the 15 people inside the apartment when her daughter died knows something.
“There are a lot of inconsistencies with the story,” Rodriguez told KSAT. “(A detective) told me they said she jumped, and then he told me that the friends said they didn’t know her whereabouts.”
“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 disregarded them,” Rodriguez said.
The cause of death will be determined by the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the investigation remains ongoing.