Criminal complaint: Surveillance video captured entire attack that killed Del Rio mother of 5
New court documents reveal what police say was caught on camera before 32-year-old Caroline Peña was fatally stabbed. Three women face murder charges.
SAN ANTONIO — Newly released court documents are providing the first detailed account of what investigators say happened in the moments before a Del Rio mother of five was fatally stabbed, revealing surveillance video, new evidence and why three women are facing murder charges. Caroline Raquel Peña, 32, was laid to rest Wednesday, one week after she was killed. Three women — 19-year-old Amaya “Cookie” Diaz, 21-year-old Kitty Mia Diaz and 21-year-old Kyandra Renee Faz — have all been charged with murder in connection with her death. Del Rio Police Chief Frank Ramirez said the case has drawn widespread attention because violent crimes like this are rare in the border community.
“This is something that’s not the norm for us in any way,” Ramirez said. “We have a pretty low crime rate here and a pretty good quality of living, so this is not something most of our citizens see very often.” Ramirez believes the circumstances surrounding the attack have also resonated with people across the country. “I think a lot of it is the victim was a mother of five and there was three against one,” he said. “Obviously, if you look at some of the pictures afterward when you see some of the suspects coming out, they didn’t seem to take this very seriously or show very much remorse. I think the public is seeing that and showing their disproval for it.” Criminal complaint outlines alleged attack According to the criminal complaint, Del Rio police were dispatched around 2:10 p.m. on June 25 after Peña arrived at Val Verde Regional Medical Center suffering from stab wounds. Witnesses directed officers to a home in the 800 block of East 10th Street, where investigators say the attack occurred. The complaint says a home surveillance camera captured “…the entirety of the incident”. Investigators say Peña arrived first in a black Dodge pickup. Minutes later, sisters Kitty Mia Diaz and Amaya “Cookie” Diaz pulled up in a black Chrysler 300.
According to court documents, Amaya Diaz got out of the passenger seat carrying what investigators believed was a knife before confronting Peña. The complaint alleges Amaya Diaz stabbed Peña in the back, with investigators noting blood immediately became visible on the back of Peña’s shirt. Police say the surveillance video then shows Kitty Mia Diaz and Kyandra Renee Faz joining the assault before all three women left the scene. Peña was later airlifted to a San Antonio hospital, where she died from her injuries that evening. Evidence detailed in court records Police later tracked the Chrysler to a home on West Strickland. According to the complaint, investigators found Amaya and Kitty Diaz no longer wearing the clothing seen in the surveillance video. Officers also noted both women appeared to have recently showered because their hair was wet. After obtaining a search warrant, investigators say they found what they identified as Kitty Diaz’s pink halter-style crop top inside a washing machine. The allegation led to an additional tampering with physical evidence charge against Kitty Diaz. Court records show all three women requested court-appointed attorneys. Although investigators allege Amaya Diaz was the person holding the knife, all three women have been charged with murder. Under Texas’ Law of Parties, a person accused of helping, encouraging or participating in a deadly crime can face the same criminal charge as the person accused of inflicting the fatal injury. Ramirez said investigators are continuing to examine several possible motives.
“I know they’re looking into anything — looking into possible motives and they’ve got a pretty good amount of them that they’re going through right now,” he said. Police are also continuing to follow multiple leads. “They’re putting all their efforts into it to try and figure out exactly what happened, to make sure every avenue is pursued,” Ramirez said. While photos circulating on social media appear to show additional people at the scene, Ramirez said he does not expect any more arrests. “I have not heard anything about any males at this time,” he said. Del Rio police said they will continue providing updates through the department’s social media channels as new information becomes available.
The combined bond for the three murder suspects exceeds $15 million.
