Newly released court records are giving the first detailed look at what investigators say happened before 32-year-old Caroline Raquel Peña, a mother of five from Del Rio, was fatally stabbed. The documents describe surveillance footage, possible evidence, and the reason three women are now facing murder charges in connection with her death.
Peña was laid to rest on Wednesday, one week after the deadly attack. The three suspects — 19-year-old Amaya “Cookie” Diaz, 21-year-old Kitty Mia Diaz, and 21-year-old Kyandra Renee Faz — have all been charged with murder.
Del Rio Police Say Case Has Shocked the Community
Del Rio Police Chief Frank Ramirez said the case has gained major attention because this type of violent crime is uncommon in the border community.
Ramirez said Del Rio generally has a low crime rate and a strong quality of life, making an incident like this extremely unusual for local residents.
He also said the circumstances of the attack have disturbed people far beyond Del Rio. According to Ramirez, the public reaction appears connected to the fact that Peña was a mother of five and that the alleged attack involved three women against one victim.
Ramirez added that images of the suspects after the incident appeared to show little seriousness or remorse, which may have increased public anger.
Criminal Complaint Describes Alleged Stabbing
According to the criminal complaint, Del Rio police were called at around 2:10 p.m. on June 25 after Peña arrived at Val Verde Regional Medical Center with stab wounds.
Witnesses directed officers to a home in the 800 block of East 10th Street, where investigators believe the attack happened.
Court documents say a home surveillance camera recorded the entire incident.
Surveillance Video Reportedly Captured the Attack
Investigators say Peña arrived at the location first in a black Dodge pickup.
A few minutes later, sisters Kitty Mia Diaz and Amaya “Cookie” Diaz arrived in a black Chrysler 300.
According to court records, Amaya Diaz got out of the passenger side while carrying what investigators believed to be a knife. She then allegedly confronted Peña.
The complaint states that Amaya Diaz stabbed Peña in the back. Investigators noted that blood immediately appeared on the back of Peña’s shirt.
Police say the video then shows Kitty Mia Diaz and Kyandra Renee Faz joining the assault before all three women left the scene.
Peña Later Died in San Antonio
After arriving at Val Verde Regional Medical Center, Peña was later airlifted to a hospital in San Antonio.
She died from her injuries later that evening.
Her death has left family, friends, and the Del Rio community grieving, especially because she was a mother of five young children.
Evidence Found After Police Located Vehicle
Police later tracked the black Chrysler 300 to a home on West Strickland.
According to the complaint, investigators found Amaya and Kitty Diaz at the location, but they were no longer wearing the same clothes seen in the surveillance video.
Officers also noted that both women appeared to have recently showered because their hair was wet.
Tampering Charge Filed Against Kitty Diaz
After obtaining a search warrant, investigators searched the home and said they found a pink halter-style crop top believed to belong to Kitty Diaz inside a washing machine.
Because of that discovery, Kitty Diaz was also charged with tampering with physical evidence.
Court records show that all three women requested court-appointed attorneys.
Why All Three Women Face Murder Charges
Although investigators allege that Amaya Diaz was the person holding the knife, all three suspects have been charged with murder.
This is because of Texas’ Law of Parties. Under this law, a person accused of helping, encouraging, or participating in a deadly crime can face the same charge as the person accused of causing the fatal injury.
That means prosecutors do not have to allege that each suspect personally inflicted the fatal wound for each of them to face a murder charge.
Police Continue Looking Into Possible Motives
Chief Ramirez said investigators are still reviewing several possible motives.
He said detectives are examining different angles and following multiple leads to understand exactly what led to the fatal confrontation.
Ramirez said police are putting full effort into the case to make sure every possible avenue is investigated.
No Additional Arrests Expected
Photos circulating on social media appear to show other people near the scene. However, Ramirez said he does not currently expect more arrests.
He also said he has not heard anything suggesting male suspects are involved at this time.
Del Rio police said they will continue releasing updates through the department’s social media channels as new information becomes available.
Bond Exceeds $15 Million
The combined bond for the three murder suspects is more than $15 million.
The high bond amount reflects the seriousness of the charges and the intense public attention surrounding the case.