Texas mother of 5 allegedly stabbed dead in broad daylight by 3 women

A 32-year-old mother of five was allegedly stabbed multiple times by two sisters and their friend along a busy Texas street in broad daylight on Jun. 25.

Local police were informed around 9pm that the victim, Caroline Peña, had died.

She is survived by her twin sister and her five children, with her eldest son being 17 and graduating from high school, the New York Post reported.

The suspects have been identified as siblings Kitty Mia Diaz, 21, and Amaya Cookie Diaz, 19, alongside their friend Kyandra Renee Faz, 21.

All three are being held on murder charges while police investigate the motive behind the attack.

What happened

The incident took place in Del Rio, a border city of about 35,000 people next to Mexico.

Surveillance footage showed Peña with a bloodied shirt facing down her three attackers outside a fast-food restaurant drive-through before the assault, according to media reports.

Peña’s close friend, Christina Salinas, later noted that she recognised Peña in a photo circulated on a community page before it was taken down, identifying her by her distinctive hair bun.

"That girl, she was a fighter. She was still standing her ground."

One of Peña's childhood friends told KENS5 that the public nature of the attack raised questions about why no one intervened.

“This wasn’t something that happened in a back alley. This happened at the corner near Sonic on one of our busiest roads in broad daylight.”

In hospital

Following the assault, Peña arrived at a nearby medical centre just after 2pm suffering from multiple stab wounds — two to her back and one to her stomach.

Salinas rushed to the hospital after hearing the news and shared that Peña was still conscious and talking before doctors sedated her, she told KENS5.

Due to the severity of her injuries, Peña had to be flown via helicopter to a specialised medical facility in San Antonio for emergency treatment.

Investigators were notified at around 9pm that same evening that she had succumbed to her injuries.

Arrests

Local police said that surveillance video, processed evidence, and eyewitness accounts led detectives to identify the three suspects.

The Diaz sisters were located and arrested at their home at around 4pm without incident, with Faz detained shortly after.

Footage captured outside the sisters' residence showed a barefoot Kitty Diaz grinning as she was led to a police cruiser.

Her younger sister, Amaya, was also seen smiling widely for the cameras while sarcastically shouting, "Stop recording!"

All three women were taken to the Del Rio Police Department for booking and processing.

Following interrogation, police confirmed that Faz was also formally charged alongside the sisters.

The trio now face murder charges and have been transferred to a correctional facility pending magistration.

According to her social media, Kitty is a mother to a four-year-old son.

Police have yet to establish a motive, and investigations remain active and ongoing.