Two sisters and a companion are facing murder charges after authorities said a 32-year-old Texas mother of five was attacked in broad daylight, stabbed repeatedly and later died.
Kitty Mia Diaz, 21; Amaya Cookie Diaz, 19; and Kyandra Renee Faz, 21, were taken into custody Thursday on murder charges tied to the deadly assault, the Del Rio Police Department said in a Facebook press release.
Local news outlets identified the victim as 32-year-old Caroline “Caro” Peña.
“She was one of those people that she was born to be a mom,” Peña’s childhood friend, Zelina Ochoa, told KENS 5 as she held back tears and wiped her face. “She really loved being a mom.”
Kyandra Renee Faz, 21; Amaya Cookie Diaz, 19; and Kitty Mia Diaz, 21, have been arrested in connection with the killing of Caroline Peña, 32. (Del Rio, Texas, Police Department)
Del Rio, a community of about 35,000 residents, sits in southwest Texas near the U.S.-Mexico border.
According to police, officers were called to Val Verde Regional Medical Center at about 2:10 p.m. Thursday after a report that a woman had arrived suffering from multiple stab wounds following an attack at a heavily traveled intersection.
“This wasn’t something that happened in a back alley; this happened at the corner near Sonic on one of our busiest roads in broad daylight,” Ochoa told KENS 5.
Because of the severity of her injuries, the woman was taken to a San Antonio medical facility for emergency treatment, police said. 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.
Kyandra Faz, 21, was a friend of the pair of sisters arrested in connection of the stabbing murder of Caroline Peña, 32. (Del Rio, Texas, Police Department)
Detectives reviewed surveillance video, processed evidence and interviewed witnesses before identifying Kitty Diaz, Cookie Diaz and Faz as suspects, police said. Kitty Diaz and Cookie Diaz were arrested without incident around 4 p.m. local time Thursday, and Faz was arrested a short time later.
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Another friend, Christina Salinas, told the outlet she missed a call from Peña shortly before the stabbing and later recognized her in a photo suffering from the wounds 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. “It wouldn’t have gotten like that.”
Police have not publicly released a motive.
Amaya Diaz, 19, was one of the sisters arrested in connection of the stabbing murder of Caroline Peña, 32. (Del Rio, Texas, Police Department)
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.
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.
The investigation remains active, and police said additional charges could be filed as detectives continue gathering evidence.
Kitty Diaz, 21, was one of the sisters arrested in connection of the stabbing murder of Caroline Peña, 32. (Del Rio, Texas, Police Department)
Peña is survived by her five children – the oldest a 17-year-old son – and a twin sister, according to reports.
“If you needed something and she had it, even if it was her last, she’d give it to you,” Ochoa told KENS 5.
