'Smiling and Goofing Off': Texas Sisters Face Murder Charges After Mother‑of‑Five's Fatal Stabbing Sparks Outrage

A 32-year-old Texas mother of five was stabbed to death in broad daylight on one of her city's busiest roads, and the two sisters now charged with her murder were filmed smiling and sticking out their tongues as police led them away in handcuffs.

Caroline 'Caro' Peña died on the evening of 25 June 2026 after being stabbed multiple times near a Sonic drive-in on East 10th Street in Del Rio, a border city of roughly 35,000 in south‑west Texas. According to a press release issued by the Del Rio Police Department, the attack happened at approximately 14:10 local time.

Peña was rushed to Val Verde Regional Medical Center and then airlifted to a trauma centre in San Antonio, where she was pronounced dead at around 21:00. Three young women now face murder charges: sisters Kitty Mia Diaz, 21, and Amaya 'Cookie' Diaz, 19, along with their friend Kyandra Renee Faz, 21.

A Public Attack On A Busy Street

The Del Rio Police Department stated in its official press release that officers initially responded to reports of a woman with multiple stab wounds at Val Verde Regional Medical Center before being redirected to the scene. Detectives reviewed surveillance footage, processed evidence and conducted witness interviews.

Peña had been stabbed twice in the back and once in the abdomen, wounds serious enough to puncture her lungs, according to her best friend of eight years, Christina Salinas, who spoke to local broadcaster KENS 5.

Salinas said she missed a phone call from Peña at 13:35, less than 40 minutes before the attack. 'I feel like if I would have answered that call, honestly I would have been there with her,' she said. 'It wouldn't have gotten like that.'

She later recognised Peña from a photo circulating on a community page. 'Her hair was in the same bun. That's all I needed to see. I knew it was her right off the bat.'

Childhood friend Zelina Ochoa told KENS 5 how public the attack was. 'This wasn't something that happened in a back alley,' Ochoa said. 'This happened at the corner near Sonic on one of our busiest roads in broad daylight.'

Friends told the station that images of the confrontation briefly circulated on social media before being removed, including one reportedly showing Peña standing in a bloodstained pink shirt surrounded by three young women.

Arrested And Smiling

Kitty Diaz and Cookie Diaz were arrested without incident at approximately 16:00. Faz was taken into custody a short time later. All three were booked at the Del Rio Police Department before being transported to the GEO Correctional Facility pending court hearings.

What drew public anger was the behaviour captured in arrest footage. Video circulating online showed Kitty Diaz grinning as police escorted her to a patrol vehicle.

Local journalist Michael Elizondo, who was present, told the New York Post what he witnessed. 'She was all smiling, goofing off like nothing happened,' Elizondo said.

'All of a sudden I see the window go down, and the girl was sticking out her face, sticking out her tongue and goofing off.' Cookie Diaz was heard giggling during her own arrest and reportedly shouted at a bystander:

'Stop recording.' Both sisters smiled in their official custody photographs. The mug shots and footage spread rapidly online and added to the sense of outrage around the case.

'She Was Born To Be A Mum'

Those who knew Peña described a woman whose life revolved around her children. She is survived by five children, the eldest a 17‑year‑old son approaching graduation, and a twin sister.

Ochoa, who met Peña as a teenager at a Cradles in the Classroom programme for young parents, fought back tears as she spoke. 'She was one of those people, she was born to be a mum. She really loved being a mum.'

Salinas reached the hospital in time to say goodbye before Peña was airlifted. 'That girl, she was a fighter. She was still standing her ground,' she said. 'It's like a part of me got ripped out and that's something I'm not going to get back. No matter how much justice is being served, I still don't have my friend here alive with me.'

The Del Rio Police Department has not publicly released a motive. Its press release stated the investigation remains 'active and ongoing' and that additional charges may be filed. Police have not confirmed whether anyone else was involved. The three suspects are legally presumed innocent unless and until convicted.