Two sisters accused of murder were caught smiling at the camera during their arrest, and a police chief had blunt words about it

Three women remain in custody in connection with the fatal stabbing of 32 year old Caroline Peña, which occurred on Thursday, June 25, in Del Rio. The suspects have been identified as 19 year old Amaya “Cookie” Diaz, 21 year old Kitty Mia Diaz, and 21 year old Kyandra Renne Faz. All three made a court appearance on Friday and are currently held on a 5 million dollar bond each.

The case drew widespread attention after photos showing the Diaz sisters smiling during their arrest began circulating online. Del Rio Police Chief Frank Ramirez addressed the images during an interview on Monday, June 29, saying their demeanor “didn’t look good” and that he would have expected “a little more remorse in a situation like that.” He described the behavior shown in the photos as appearing callous.

As detailed by BoredPanda, Zelina Ochoa, a longtime friend of Peña, shared additional context after reviewing a photo posted to Facebook that allegedly showed the three suspects confronting Peña, who was unarmed at the time. Ochoa said Peña “had just collapsed, and she stood right back up,” describing her as someone who fought to survive the encounter. Peña was a mother of five.

Surveillance footage reportedly shows the suspects arriving just before the attack

Witnesses in the neighborhood where all parties lived said the situation escalated almost immediately once the confrontation began. One bystander described the shift as going “from 0 to 100 very quickly,” and accounts gathered so far indicate there was no verbal exchange before the physical altercation started, which left several people in the area confused about what they had just witnessed. Investigators have said the women involved were acquainted with one another, though the specific nature of that relationship has not been disclosed.

Surveillance footage reviewed by authorities reportedly shows Peña driving her black Dodge pickup truck to Faz’s residence at approximately 2 PM, after which Cookie Diaz is seen exiting a separate vehicle and approaching Peña while holding an object police believe was used as the murder weapon. The footage emerged the same week that bodycam recordings from a Dallas custody escape drew separate national attention, part of a broader pattern of footage based crime cases circulating online this year.

Faz has claimed to police that Peña arrived at her home intending to start a fight, a characterization that friends of the victim strongly dispute. Ochoa described Peña as someone who avoided conflict and typically served as a peacemaker among her friend group. Chief Ramirez has also stated that Peña’s decision to go to the residence does not absolve the suspects of responsibility for what followed. None of the three suspects has publicly commented beyond the statement Faz reportedly gave to police.

Peña’s death has left her five children without their mother, including a three year old, and a GoFundMe campaign has since been established to support them financially. Two of her children have autism, according to the fundraiser. The case follows a separate Wisconsin missing wife investigation that has also drawn national true crime attention in recent weeks, though the two cases are unrelated.

“She was one of those people who were born to be a mom,” Ochoa said, adding that Peña “wasn’t just a mom, she was their friend.”