In the border city of Del Rio Texas on June 25 2026 a seemingly ordinary afternoon turned into a nightmare when 32-year-old mother of five Caroline Caro Peña was repeatedly stabbed in the back on a busy public street in broad daylight before being beaten by three young women who then fled the scene. Surveillance footage captured every terrifying second showing 19-year-old Amaya Cookie Diaz exiting a black Chrysler 300 with what police believe was a knife in her right hand confronting Peña and striking her multiple times in the back causing blood to visibly soak through her shirt while her 21-year-old sister Kitty Mia Diaz and their friend 21-year-old Kyandra Renee Faz joined in the physical ᴀssault.

Peña’s nephew rushed her to Val Verde Regional Medical Center where she arrived still conscious and able to speak but her injuries were so severe she was quickly sedated and airlifted to a hospital in San Antonio where she died around 9 p.m. after fighting for her life for approximately seven hours. Police identified the three suspects through video evidence witness statements and physical proof leading to their arrests later that same afternoon around 4 p.m. when Kitty and Cookie were taken into custody without incident. A bystander video recorded the exact moment officers placed the two sisters into patrol vehicles and in that footage both women can clearly be seen grinning and smiling as they were handcuffed and loaded into the cars showing what Del Rio Police Chief Frank Ramirez later described as a callous reaction with no visible remorse whatsoever for the devastating crime.

Kyandra was arrested shortly afterward and all three were charged with first-degree murder the following day with each receiving a $5 million bond after the judge reviewed the overwhelming evidence including the surveillance that placed the knife directly in Cookie’s hand. Chief Ramirez confirmed the attack was not random and that the three women knew Peña before the confrontation adding another disturbing layer to a case that has left the entire community in shock. Friends have described Peña as a bubbly devoted mother with an infectious laugh who was always ready to help anyone even giving away her last possessions and who had worked hard to create stability for her five children. The smiling arrest footage has spread widely online sparking outrage and countless questions about how anyone could allegedly participate in such a vicious public stabbing of a woman they knew and then appear so unaffected hours later when faced with police. As the investigation continues with the possibility of additional charges the five children left motherless including an oldest son close to graduating now face an unimaginable future while loved ones cling to memories of the vibrant woman who brought light and support to everyone around her. The contrast between the brutality of the daylight attack and the apparent indifference shown in the arrest video has become one of the most talked-about and chilling aspects of this tragic case.

Newly released court documents and clear surveillance footage have now officially confirmed that 19-year-old Amaya Cookie Diaz was the primary attacker who wielded the knife and repeatedly stabbed 32-year-old mother of five Caroline Caro Peña in the back during a violent confrontation on a public street in Del Rio Texas on June 25 2026. According to the detailed police affidavit Peña drove her black Dodge pickup to the location that afternoon where an argument quickly escalated. Video shows Cookie arriving in a black Chrysler 300 exiting the pᴀssenger side holding an object believed to be a knife in her right hand before confronting Peña and striking her multiple times in the back with blood immediately visible soaking the back of her shirt. Court papers explicitly identify Cookie as the one who used the knife repeatedly while her 21-year-old sister Kitty Mia Diaz and their 21-year-old friend Kyandra Renee Faz allegedly joined in beating the victim before all three fled leaving Peña gravely wounded.

Her nephew drove her to Val Verde Regional Medical Center around 2:10 p.m. where she was still conscious enough to speak with medical staff and family before being airlifted to San Antonio where she succumbed to her injuries around 9 p.m. after fighting for approximately seven hours. The confirmation from both video and official court records that Cookie delivered the fatal blows has intensified focus on her specific actions and raised serious questions about what could drive a teenager to allegedly carry out such a targeted and repeated stabbing in broad daylight in front of witnesses. All three women were arrested the same day and charged with first-degree murder with each facing a $5 million bond following their Friday court appearance. Del Rio Police Chief Frank Ramirez has stated that the suspects knew the victim prior to the attack making the crime even more personal and difficult for the community to process. Friends remember Peña as a loyal bubbly woman with a warm generous spirit who loved being a mother and always showed up for others no matter what. The public nature of the ᴀssault combined with the official identification of Cookie as the stabber has fueled demands for justice while Peña’s five children now navigate life without their mother. As more evidence continues to emerge the case remains a haunting reminder of how quickly a confrontation can turn ᴅᴇᴀᴅly and how one young woman’s actions with a knife changed countless lives forever.