The parents of 19-year-old Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera have filed a $1 million wrongful-death lawsuit, alleging she was served alcohol while underage at a tailgate and was later found dead at an Austin apartment complex on Nov. 29, 2025. Austin police ruled the death a suicide after examining witness statements, video and a deleted message on Aguilera’s phone, but the family disputes that finding and is calling for further investigation. Neighbors say they heard screaming the night of the incident, and the suit names the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the University of Texas Latin Economics and Business Association as defendants.
Family Files $1M Wrongful-Death Suit After Texas A&M Student Found Dead; Parents Challenge Police Suicide Ruling
GoFundMeBrianna Aguilera
The parents of 19-year-old Texas A&M student Brianna Marie Aguilera have filed a $1 million wrongful-death lawsuit in Travis County, alleging their daughter was served alcohol while underage at a pregame tailgate and that failures by event hosts and others contributed to the circumstances that led to her death.
What Happened
Brianna Aguilera was found dead at the 21 Rio student apartment complex in Austin during the early morning hours of Nov. 29, 2025. Austin Police announced on Dec. 4, 2025, that investigators had ruled her death a suicide after reviewing witness statements, video evidence and material recovered from Aguilera’s phone.
The Lawsuit
On Jan. 6, 2026, Aguilera’s parents, Stephanie Rodriguez and Manuel Aguilera, filed a wrongful-death suit seeking $1 million in damages. The complaint names the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the University of Texas Latin Economics and Business Association as defendants, alleging Aguilera attended a tailgate at the Austin Blacks facility off Loyola Lane earlier that evening and was served alcohol despite being underage.
Family’s Allegations
The lawsuit says witnesses observed Aguilera’s behavior change at the tailgate—from upbeat to disoriented and reportedly "grossly intoxicated"—and that bystanders had to help her walk at times. The complaint also disputes the police timeline of events and seeks accountability from the organizations that hosted and supplied alcohol at the event.
Courtesy of Stephanie RodriguezBrianna Aguilera
Police Findings
Authorities say their investigation recovered a deleted digital message on Aguilera’s phone dated Nov. 25, 2025, and that witness statements, video and digital evidence together pointed to suicide, not criminal activity. Lead detective Robert Marshall said Aguilera had made suicidal comments to friends in prior weeks and that other evidence did not indicate she had been pushed.
Neighbors’ Account and Family Response
At a press conference, family attorney Tony Buzbee said the family believes the death may have been accidental or the result of foul play rather than suicide. A neighbor, Dana Rodriguez, told reporters she and others heard people "screaming" in the apartment the night Aguilera died and said the resident of the unit left shortly afterward. Rodriguez also said she had not been interviewed by police, according to her account at the press event.
Ongoing Questions
The lawsuit centers on alleged underage alcohol service and conflicting accounts of Aguilera’s condition and movements the evening she vanished from the tailgate and was later found. Police maintain they followed physical, testimonial and digital evidence to reach their ruling, while the family calls for further investigation.
Note: PEOPLE and law-enforcement spokespeople have been contacted for comment. The civil case is pending in Travis County.
Help and Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental-health challenges, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 support.
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