Three Women Charged in Daylight Murder of Young Mom

By Alex Morgan. Jun 29, 2026

A 32-year-old mother of five was stabbed to death in broad daylight on a busy street in Del Rio, Texas, and the three young women charged with her murder were filmed smiling and sticking out their tongues as police led them away.

Caroline “Caro” Pena was attacked around 2:10 p.m. on June 25 near a Sonic drive-in on East 10th Street. She was rushed to a local hospital, then airlifted to San Antonio for emergency treatment, where she died that evening.

A Public Attack on a Busy Road

“This wasn’t something that happened in a back alley,” childhood friend Zelina Ochoa told a local station. “This happened at the corner near Sonic on one of our busiest roads in broad daylight.”

Caught Smiling

Police arrested sisters Kitty Mia Diaz, 21, and Amaya “Cookie” Diaz, 19, along with their friend Kyandra Renee Faz, 21, hours after the attack. Footage of the arrests, captured by bystanders, showed Kitty grinning at the camera while Amaya giggled and stuck out her tongue. The video spread quickly online, drawing public outrage.

All three have been charged with murder and remain held at the GEO Correctional Facility. Police have not released a motive and say the investigation remains active.

Who Was Caroline Pena

Ochoa said she met Pena years ago through a program for teenage mothers, and the two helped raise their children together. “She was one of those people, she was born to be a mom,” Ochoa said.

A Family Left Behind

Pena is survived by five children, the oldest a 17-year-old son, and a twin sister. A GoFundMe set up for the family notes that two of her children have autism and are still too young to fully process what happened.

References: Texas mother of five killed in Del Rio broad daylight stabbing attack | ‘Smiling and Goofing Off’: Texas Sisters Face Murder Charges After Mother-of-Five’s Fatal Stabbing | Mom of 5 Was Stabbed to Death in Broad Daylight. Now 2 Sisters and a Third Woman Are Charged