Texas Sisters Smiled During Their Arrest. Police Say Hours Earlier, a Mother of 5 Was Stabbed to Death

Two young Texas sisters are facing murder charges after police say a mother of five was brutally stabbed in broad daylight in Del Rio.

Amaya “Cookie” Diaz, 19, and Kitty Mia Diaz, 21, were arrested Thursday, just hours after authorities say 32-year-old Caroline “Caro” Peña was attacked and later died from her injuries.

A third woman, 21-year-old Kyandra Renee Faz, was also arrested in connection with Peña’s death, according to the Del Rio Police Department.

At this point, police have not publicly released a motive.

That is one of the biggest questions hanging over this case: what could have led three young women to allegedly attack a mother of five in such a violent way?

Arrest Video Draws Outrage

Footage taken outside the Diaz sisters’ home showed police escorting the women into patrol cars after the killing. What shocked many people was not only the arrest itself, but the way the sisters appeared to behave while being taken into custody.

According to video from the scene, Kitty Diaz briefly smiled as officers walked her toward a patrol vehicle. Her younger sister, Amaya, also appeared to smile and laugh while telling the person recording to stop filming.

Independent journalist Michael Elizondo, who recorded the scene, said he went to the area after hearing there was heavy police activity near the home. He said he did not initially know what the women were being arrested for, but the number of police vehicles made it clear the situation was serious.

Elizondo later said one of the sisters appeared to be “goofing off” and acting as if nothing had happened.

That footage quickly became one of the most talked-about parts of the case, especially once people learned police were arresting the women in connection with a fatal stabbing.

What Police Say Happened

Authorities say Peña was stabbed repeatedly in Del Rio, a small Texas city near the Mexican border.

Reports indicate the attack may have unfolded near a Sonic drive-through, where footage allegedly showed a bloodied Peña facing her attackers before she was taken for medical help.

Peña was later transported to a hospital in San Antonio, where she died around 9 p.m.

Police were reportedly called to the medical center and later traced the attack back to a location in Del Rio. Investigators then arrested Amaya Diaz, Kitty Diaz, and Kyandra Faz.

All three women were charged with murder and taken to a local jail.

It is important to remember that the women have been charged, not convicted. The investigation is ongoing, and police have not yet released all of the details surrounding what led up to the deadly encounter.

Remembering Caroline “Caro” Peña

While much of the attention has focused on the arrest video, the center of this story is Caroline Peña.

She was 32 years old and a mother of five.

Five children are now without their mother. A family is grieving. A community is asking how something so violent could happen in the middle of the day.

That should not get lost in the shock surrounding the suspects’ behavior on camera.

Peña’s death has left people in Del Rio and beyond with more questions than answers. Was this a personal dispute? Was there some kind of confrontation before the attack? Did the women know each other? And why has no motive been released?

A Case That Has People Talking

Cases like this hit hard because they are difficult to understand. The suspects are young. The victim was a mother. The alleged attack was brutal. And the arrest footage, showing smiles and laughter, has only added to the public anger.

But as disturbing as the video may be, the legal process is only beginning.

Investigators still need to determine exactly what happened before, during, and after the stabbing. Prosecutors will have to prove the charges in court. And Peña’s family will be left trying to make sense of a loss that no court case can undo.

What do you think is the most disturbing part of this case; the alleged public attack, the unanswered motive, or the way the suspects appeared to act during their arrest?