AUSTIN, Texas – Several questions surround the death of a Texas A&M University student from Laredo who fell from a student apartment building near the University of Texas at Austin.
Brianna Aguilera, 19, was found unresponsive early Saturday morning outside an apartment complex in the 2100 block of Rio Grande Street, in the heart of the student living area for UT students.
Aguilera’s mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, spoke to KSAT about her grievances with the Austin Police Department’s response and investigation into her daughter’s death.
Here’s what we know about Aguilera’s death, according to our sources, her family and law enforcement:
Thursday, Nov. 27
Aguilera had spent Thanksgiving Day in Laredo with her family, Rodriguez told KGNS in Laredo.
Aguilera had graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors from United High School in Laredo and was attending the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M. She had a goal of becoming a lawyer, Rodruguez said.
Friday, Nov. 28
Aguilera visited Austin for the football game between the Longhorns and Aggies. Rodriguez said that Aguilera did not attend the game in person at the Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium but intended to attend a tailgate event, according to Rodriguez.
Rodriguez told KGNS that communication with her daughter ended at around 6 p.m. Friday.
Rodriguez told KSAT that Aguilera’s phone had been placed on “Do Not Disturb” mode. Rodriguez said she stopped receiving text messages from Aguilera at around this time.
Kickoff for the football game began at approximately 6:30 p.m.
According to KGNS, Rodriguez contacted the Austin Police Department (APD) after her daughter’s phone location began pinging near a creek and she was still unable to reach her.
Police told her that a missing persons report could not be filed within the first 24 hours of her disappearance. Because Aguilera did not meet the criteria of a missing person, a report was not generated, police told KSAT.
Saturday, Nov. 29
At approximately 1 a.m., Aguilera’s body was discovered by a passerby on Rio Grande Street.
Police said that she had fallen from the 17th floor of 21 Rio Apartments, a student housing complex located a handful of blocks away from campus.
21 Rio Apartments in Austin. (KSAT)
According to Rodriguez, investigators interviewed people inside the apartment at 1 p.m. Rodriguez said there were approximately 15 people in the apartment at the time of her daughter’s death.
Nearly 15 hours later, at 4 p.m., Rodriguez was first notified of her daughter’s death. At this time, Aguilera’s body had already been taken to a morgue.
APD said Aguilera’s death was not being investigated as a homicide. Rodriguez said that investigators did not give her straight answers.
“There are a lot of inconsistencies with the story,” Rodriguez told KSAT. She said investigators told her that Aguilera had jumped from the building, but her friends at the apartment also claimed not to know of her whereabouts.
Rodriguez said that her daughter was not suicidal and wouldn’t have jumped intentionally.
Rodriguez also told investigators about a fight that allegedly ensued between her daughter and another woman at the apartment that night.
“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 told KSAT.
Monday, Dec. 1
KSAT reached out to Texas A&M University for a comment on Monday afternoon. A school spokesperson said the university “does not have a statement to share at this time.”
Tuesday, Dec. 2
KSAT reached out to APD for details on the investigation and to follow up on Rodriguez’s remaining questions.
APD said that they will continue to interview witnesses and that the case remains an ongoing death investigation. They said the cause of death has not been ruled and will be determined at a later date by the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office.
When asked about the text messages Rodriguez provided, APD said the messages had been received and were now part of the investigation.
Austin police told KSAT that “Aguilera did not meet the criteria of a missing person,” and a report was not generated.
This is an ongoing story. Check back for updates.
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