Three Women Charged With Murder in Broad Daylight Stabbing of Texas Mom of Five

A Mother of Five Killed in Plain Sight

A 32-year-old Texas mother of five died after being stabbed several times during a daytime confrontation, and three young women now sit in jail facing murder charges in a case that has rattled the border city of Del Rio. Authorities identified the victim as Caroline Peña, known to those close to her as "Caro." She was attacked on June 25 and was pronounced dead that night, the Del Rio Police Department said.

The Del Rio Police Department announced that officers were dispatched to the Val Verde Regional Medical Center at approximately 2:10 p.m. on June 25, after a woman arrived with multiple stab wounds. Investigators determined that the attack took place in the 800 block of East 10th Street. Investigators were notified around 9 p.m. that she had died after being stabbed twice in the back and a third time in her stomach. The location of the attack made it all the more shocking to those who knew her.

"This wasn't something that happened in a back alley," childhood friend Zelina Ochoa told KENS 5. "This happened at the corner near Sonic on one of our busiest roads in broad daylight." According to Peña's friends, images and video of the confrontation circulated briefly on social media before being taken down. One image reportedly showed Peña standing in a bloodstained pink shirt while surrounded by three young women.

Suspects Arrested Within Hours

Kitty Mia Diaz, 21; Amaya "Cookie" Diaz, 19; and Kyandra Renee Faz, 21, were arrested on charges of murder in connection with the fatal attack, the Del Rio Police Department announced in a press release. The two Diaz women are sisters, and Faz was described as their friend. Detectives pulled surveillance footage, collected physical evidence, and spoke with witnesses — work that pointed them toward the three suspects. The two sisters were taken into custody around 4 p.m. without resistance, and Faz was arrested soon afterward.

Footage obtained by KENS 5 showed police escorting the Diaz sisters from a residence in handcuffs, with one of the suspects smiling at the camera before entering a patrol vehicle. All three suspects were booked at the Del Rio Police Department before being transported to the GEO Correctional Facility, where police said they remained pending court hearings. Police have not publicly released a motive.

A Community Mourns "Caro"

Peña is survived by her five children — the oldest a 17-year-old son — and a twin sister. Ochoa told the outlet that she and Peña met as teenagers while attending Cradles in the Classroom, a program designed for young parents. Ochoa recalled how Peña supported her during those early years by babysitting, providing baby clothes, and offering household items for her first apartment.

Another friend, Christina Salinas, said she missed a call from Peña shortly before the stabbing and later recognized her in a photo circulating on a community page. "I feel like if I would have answered that call, honestly I would have been there with her," Salinas said. Salinas said she rushed to the hospital and was able to say goodbye before Peña was flown to San Antonio. "That girl, she was a fighter: She was still standing her ground," Salinas said.

What Comes Next

Del Rio is a city of 35,000 in southwest Texas near the Mexican border. A killing of this nature — carried out openly, in the middle of the afternoon, on one of the town's busiest streets — has left residents shaken and demanding answers. The fact that graphic footage briefly spread across social media before being removed adds another painful dimension to the tragedy for Peña's family and friends.

The investigation remains active, and police said additional charges could be filed as detectives continue gathering evidence. Police stated that additional charges may be filed as detectives establish a motive and the full circumstances of the attack. The Del Rio Police Department has requested that anyone with information regarding the case contact investigators. For a community grieving a mother described by those who loved her as someone who was simply born to care for others, the pursuit of justice — and the question of why this happened — remains very much unresolved.