Two sisters in Del Rio, Texas, have been charged with murder following a fatal assault on a mother of five, with surveillance footage reportedly capturing the attack. Amaya Cookie Diaz, 19, and Kitty Mia Diaz, 21, are accused of repeatedly stabbing and beating 32-year-old Caroline “Caro” Peña on Thursday afternoon.
According to a criminal complaint, surveillance video showed Cookie Diaz, wearing a red tank top and blue jeans, and Kitty Diaz, identifiable by tattoos and wearing a pink tank top and blue jeans, attacking Peña. Approximately two hours after the incident, when police arrived at the sisters' home, both had reportedly changed their clothing and showered, with their hair noted as wet.
During a search of the residence, officers allegedly found Kitty Diaz’s pink crop top t-shirt inside a washing machine, suggesting an attempt to clean or tamper with evidence. Kitty Diaz has been charged with murder and tampering with evidence. Her sister, Amaya Cookie Diaz, and a third individual, 21-year-old Kyandra Renee Faz, have also been charged with murder.
Disturbing footage from the arrests showed the sisters, who appeared unfazed, smiling as they were taken into custody. An independent journalist who filmed the arrests described Kitty Diaz as being in a "happy mood" and "goofing off like nothing happened." Amaya Cookie Diaz was described as "brazenly flashing her pearly whites and giggling."
Investigators were told by Faz that Peña had arrived at her residence intending to start a fight. The complaint states that the Diaz sisters then arrived in a black Chrysler 300. Surveillance footage allegedly shows Amaya Cookie Diaz exiting the passenger seat and confronting Peña, holding what police believe to be a knife. The footage reportedly shows Diaz striking Peña in the back, after which Kitty Diaz and Faz allegedly joined in the assault.
Peña later died from her stab wounds at a hospital in San Antonio. Del Rio Police Chief Frank Ramirez confirmed that Peña knew her accused attackers, though the exact nature of their relationship remains unclear. The motive for the alleged attack is still under investigation.
All three defendants are being held on $5 million bonds and have requested court-appointed attorneys.