He died on March 23, 1990, the first of two Hill Street Blues stars to die that year. Kiel Martin succumbed to lung cancer on December 28.
Enríquez was originally reported to have died of pancreatic cancer. Later reports, based on the publication of his death certificate, indicated that he died of complications caused by AIDS. At one point, Rene told Hill Street Blues costar Charles Haid that he had AIDS as later indicated on Entertainment Tonight in 1992
