Three women are charged with murder in the death of 32-year-old Caroline Peña, a mother of five.
DEL RIO, TX — Court documents say surveillance video captured the attack that killed Caroline Peña, a 32-year-old mother of five, after she was stabbed June 25 outside a home on East 10th Street.
The criminal complaints add new detail to a case that has drawn wide attention in Del Rio and across Texas. Police arrested Amaya “Cookie” Diaz, 19, Kitty Mia Diaz, 21, and Kyandra Renee Faz, 22, the same day Peña was wounded. Their charges were upgraded to murder after authorities said Peña died that night at a San Antonio hospital. Each defendant is being held on a $5 million bond while the investigation continues.
Del Rio police were first called at 2:10 p.m. June 25 to Val Verde Regional Medical Center, 801 N. Bedell Ave., after a report that a female patient had been stabbed, according to the complaints. Officers spoke with witnesses and learned the attack had happened outside a residence at 801 E. 10th St. Detective Darian Castro wrote that Faz told officers Peña had arrived at her home “looking to start a fight” and that the Diaz sisters arrived at the same time. Castro wrote that an altercation followed among Peña, Faz, Amaya Diaz and Kitty Diaz. During the fight, the complaint says, a knife was shown and used to stab Peña.
The documents say police reviewed footage from the East 10th Street property that captured the incident from start to finish. The video showed Peña arriving at Faz’s residence in a black Dodge pickup truck and getting out, Castro wrote. A short time later, a black Chrysler 300 arrived. Amaya Diaz and Kitty Diaz got out and confronted Peña, according to the complaint. Amaya Diaz was seen leaving the front passenger seat with an object believed to be a knife in her right hand, police wrote. The complaint says Amaya Diaz approached Peña, got into an altercation with her and struck her in the back, where blood could then be seen on Peña’s shirt. Investigators wrote that Kitty Diaz then began physically assaulting Peña, and Faz joined in shortly after.
The complaint also described what investigators say the women were wearing in the video. Amaya Diaz was seen in a red tank top and blue jeans, while Kitty Diaz was seen in a pink tank top and blue jeans. Police said the women separated and left the area after the attack. Officers and detectives later found the black Chrysler 300 at 3:54 p.m. outside a home at 322 W. Strickland St. When police arrived, they made contact with Kitty Diaz, who told them Amaya Diaz was inside the residence. Castro wrote that the sisters were no longer wearing the clothing seen in the surveillance video and had recently showered. Police arrested the Diaz sisters and later arrested Faz.
Peña was first treated in Del Rio, then transferred to a San Antonio hospital because of the seriousness of her injuries. Detectives were notified at 9 p.m. by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office that Peña had died. The death changed the direction of the case within hours. Police had already identified the three women as suspects through witness statements, evidence from the scene and surveillance footage. After Peña died, authorities pursued murder charges against all three. Police have not released a motive. Officials have said the investigation remains active, and they have not ruled out additional charges or other action as detectives review evidence and witness accounts.
The case centers on a residential stretch of East 10th Street in Del Rio, a border city about 150 miles west of San Antonio. Early accounts from people close to Peña described the attack as public and shocking because of the time of day and the nearby traffic. Court records later placed the confrontation outside Faz’s residence. Friends and local residents have said the killing left Peña’s family and the wider community shaken. Peña, known to some friends as “Caro,” was described by people close to her as a devoted mother. She leaves behind five children. Friends said the speed and violence of the encounter were difficult to understand.
The three defendants appeared before Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Jesse James Trevino at 9:50 a.m. June 26. Trevino set bond at $5 million for each defendant, for a total of $15 million. Court records say all three requested court-appointed attorneys. The murder charge is a first-degree felony in Texas. No plea information was immediately available in the reports reviewed, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless convicted in court. The next steps in the case are expected to include formal court settings, attorney appointments, evidence review and possible further filings from prosecutors as the investigation moves forward.
Police said the arrests happened quickly after the first hospital call. Officers found the Diaz sisters at the West Strickland Street home less than two hours after the initial report and took them into custody without incident. Bystander video later showed the sisters being escorted by police, adding to public attention around the case. Faz was taken into custody a short time later. Del Rio Police Chief Frank Ramirez has said Peña and the suspects knew each other, but officials have not said what led to the confrontation. The court documents do not settle that question. They lay out what investigators say the camera recorded, what Faz told officers and what police found when they located the suspects.
Peña’s friends have spoken publicly about her role as a mother and the loss felt by her children. One friend, Zelina Ochoa, described Peña as someone with a strong laugh and a generous nature. Another friend, Christina Salinas, said she missed a call from Peña shortly before the attack and has struggled with that moment since. Their comments have become part of the public portrait of Peña as the criminal case begins. Investigators, meanwhile, are focused on the video, physical evidence, clothing, witness interviews and the timeline from the hospital call to the arrests. The most important unknown remains why the confrontation happened.
As of July 3, the three women remained charged with murder and held on $5 million bonds. Police have not announced a motive or a final investigative finding. The next milestone will be the defendants’ early court proceedings and any additional filings from prosecutors.
Author note: Last updated July 3, 2026.