Two sisters and their friend knew the mother of five they are accused of fatally stabbing in Del Rio, Texas, Police Chief Frank Ramirez told TMZ. The three women—Kitty Mia Diaz, 21, Amaya Cookie Diaz, 19, and Kyandra Renee Faz, 21—face first-degree murder charges in the death of Caroline “Caro” Peña, 32.
According to police, the attack occurred Thursday afternoon. Surveillance footage shows Peña’s truck arriving at Faz’s residence, followed shortly by a Chrysler 300 from which Amaya Diaz emerged. Police believe she was carrying a knife. The video depicts Diaz striking Peña in the back, after which Kitty Diaz and Faz allegedly joined the assault. Peña was reportedly driven to a San Antonio hospital by her nephew and died that evening from stab wounds.
Ramirez stated that Peña’s decision to go to Faz’s house does not imply she was responsible for the violence that ensued. He described the demeanor of Cookie Diaz and Kitty Diaz as they were arrested hours after the incident as "callous." Independent journalist Michael Elizondo, who filmed the arrests, noted that Kitty Diaz appeared to be grinning while being escorted to a patrol car, and Cookie Diaz "was all smiling, goofing off like nothing happened."
The three accused attackers are being held on $5 million bonds each. They appeared in court on Friday and requested court-appointed attorneys. The police have not specified the nature of the relationship between the victim and the accused, nor the motive behind the confrontation.