Two Texas Sisters Charged With Fatally Stabbing a Mother of Five in Broad Daylight
Finn's Take· TL;DR- Two sisters and another woman charged with murdering 32-year-old mother of five in broad daylight on busy Texas street corner.
- Victim stabbed multiple times in abdomen and back; suspects arrested same day and appeared to smile and mock during arrest footage.
- Motive unclear; community mourns beloved woman known for generosity; five children left without their mother following the violent attack.
A Violent Attack on a Busy Street Corner
Amaya "Cookie" Diaz, 19, and Kitty Mia Diaz, 21, were arrested for the killing of 32-year-old Caroline "Caro" Peña in Del Rio, a small city near the Mexican border. What makes the case especially chilling isn't just the brutality of the crime — it's where it happened and how the accused responded to their arrest.
"This wasn't something that happened in a back alley," said Zelina Ochoa, a childhood friend of the victim. "This happened at the corner near Sonic on one of our busiest roads in broad daylight." Friend Christina Salinas told KENS 5 that Carolina was stabbed in the side of her stomach and twice in the back, which punctured her lungs.
From Stabbing to Arrest in a Single Afternoon
According to a statement posted to their social media channels, the City of Del Rio Police Department said: "On June 25, 2026, at approximately 2:10 p.m., officers with the Del Rio Police Department responded to Val Verde Regional Medical Center after receiving a report of a female suffering from multiple stab wounds." Authorities explained that due to the severity of her injuries, the victim was transported to a medical facility in San Antonio for emergency treatment. A third woman, Kyandra Renee Faz, 21, has also been charged with murder.
At approximately 9:00 p.m., investigators were notified that the victim had succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased. Following her death, the three suspects were charged with murder, with the investigation described as "active and ongoing." After reviewing surveillance video and conducting witness interviews, Kitty, Cookie, and Kyandra were arrested and booked into the GEO Correctional Facility.
Arrest Footage Shocks Onlookers
Footage of the sisters' arrest, captured outside their home, has since been shared online. It appeared to show a grinning Kitty being escorted to a police car, while Amaya can be heard giggling at one stage after she yelled at a man behind her to "stop recording." According to a witness, after Amaya was placed inside the patrol car, she leaned her head through the lowered window and was "sticking out her tongue and goofing off."
Local journalist Michael Elizondo described how he came to record the aftermath of the arrests, stating: "I didn't know what was going on, but I knew it must be serious." He continued: "I saw the first girl going into the car, and I thought, 'Whatever.'" But he added: "She was all smiling, goofing off like nothing happened." The footage spread rapidly online, drawing widespread outrage from viewers who were stunned by the apparent indifference.
A Community Mourns a Beloved Mother
The night before Caroline was fatally stabbed, she was with her best friend of eight years, Christina Salinas, making sopa de fideo with Caroline's daughter. Caroline had apparently called Christina at around 1:35 p.m. on the day of the stabbing, but the friend missed the call. Ochoa recalled meeting Peña through a program for teen mothers continuing their education, and the two supported one another by babysitting each other's children while completing schoolwork.
As Ochoa put it: "If you needed something and she had it, even if it was her last, she'd give it to you." The motive behind the killing remains unclear. With three suspects now charged and a community left grieving, the case raises uncomfortable questions about violence, accountability, and the lasting impact left on five children who lost their mother on an ordinary Thursday afternoon.