The mother of a Texas A&M student who died just hours after tailgating in Austin says her daughter had been involved in a fight with another woman before the tragedy — and she now challenges the version of events she says police initially told her.
Brianna Aguilera — a Laredo native and aspiring attorney — was identified by her mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, as the young woman found dead outside an Austin apartment building on Saturday. Austin Police have not yet officially released her name or confirmed how she died. The department said officers had responded to a call about an unresponsive woman at a location just west of the University of Texas campus.
Mysterious Death
Police pronounced the woman dead at 12:57 a.m. and said they don't consider Aguilera's death to be suspicious, so they aren't treating the case as a homicide. The Travis County Medical Examiner's Office will make the final call on how she died — a process that could take months.
But Rodriguez says police told her that Aguilera had jumped from the 17th floor of an off-campus apartment building, a scenario she finds hard to believe.
"There are a lot of inconsistencies with the story," Rodriguez told KSAT.com. "He told me they said she jumped, and then he told me that the friends said they didn't know her whereabouts."
Rodriguez told KSAT that her daughter had never shown any signs of being suicidal — in fact, she was excited about her future and dreamed of becoming a lawyer.
She believes someone in the apartment that night — where about 15 people were gathered — knows more about what happened. She also thinks the text messages on her daughter's phone could hold crucial clues about her final moments.
"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.
Open Death Investigation
Police have, however, not closed the case. When asked by the Daily Mail about Rodriguez's claims, an Austin Police spokesperson replied with a portion of a previously provided statement: "This remains an open death investigation and is not being investigated as a homicide. The cause of death will be determined by the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office."
Aguilera was one of many students who traveled to Austin for Friday's Texas–Texas A&M game, where the Longhorns handed the undefeated Aggies a surprise loss.
Her Instagram shows she was a big football fan and had a background in cheerleading.
"Brianna graduated from United High School in Laredo, TX where she was a seasoned cheerleader and received honors of Magna Cum Lade," her family wrote on a GoFundMe page created in her memory.
"She was pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer and was attending The Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M, her dream was to always be an AGGIE! She was a year shy of attaining her Aggie ring."
The summary continued: "On Friday, November 28, 2025, Brianna attended the UT vs. Texas A&M tailgate with friends at Austin. The details surrounding what happened next remain unclear, and her mother is still awaiting answers."
The fundraiser was created to help Aguilera's family cope with the unexpected costs they're now facing after her death. By Monday evening, it had already brought in more than $23,000.
