Caroline “Caro” Peña, 32 years old and a mother of five, was stabbed three times — twice in the back and once in the abdomen — on one of the busiest thoroughfares in Del Rio, Texas, in broad daylight on June 25, 2026. The wounds punctured her lungs. She arrived at the hospital alive, but the severity of her condition made it necessary to airlift her to a trauma center in San Antonio, where she died around 9 at night.
Two hours after the attack, police arrested 21-year-old Kitty Mia Diaz, her sister Amaya “Cookie” Diaz, 19, and their friend Kyandra Renee Faz, 21, accused of murder. What happened during that arrest was captured on video and sparked a wave of outrage: the sisters smiled, laughed, and stuck out their tongues at the cameras. Their mugshots showed the same attitude. Local journalist Michael Elizondo, who witnessed the arrest, described the scene to national media with a mix of disbelief and anger.
Caroline leaves behind five children; the oldest is 17 and was close to graduating. Her best friend, Christina Salinas, revealed that Caro tried to call her about 40 minutes before the attack — a call that did not come in time. Investigators reconstructed the crime using surveillance video, physical evidence, and witness statements. The motive for the attack has still not been officially confirmed.