Smiling Sisters Kitty & Cookie Face Damning New Evidence in Mom’s Brutal Murder

From the Desk of Detective Brian Colwel: Inside the Investigation of the Brutal Daylight Murder of Carol Peña

My name is Detective Brian Colwel with the Del Rio Police Department. I’ve worked homicide cases for over fifteen years in this border city, but nothing prepared me for what unfolded on June 25th. I was one of the lead investigators on the stabbing death of Caroline “Carol” Peña, a 32-year-old mother of five taken in broad daylight on a quiet residential street. The case hit hard—not just because of the violence caught on camera, but because of what came after. The smiling faces. The casual demeanor. The evidence we uncovered in the hours that followed.

I’m writing this to set the record straight from someone who lived it. Not rumors, not viral clips, but the facts as we pieced them together. Carol deserved that much. Her children deserve the truth. And the community that watched this horror unfold needs to understand how it happened.

The Call That Changed Everything

It started with a hospital notification around 2:00 PM. Val Verde Regional Medical Center contacted us: a woman had been rushed in with multiple stab wounds. Her condition was critical. While doctors fought to stabilize her, my team and I mobilized. Carol was transferred to San Antonio for advanced care, but we already knew the prognosis was grim. By 9:00 PM that night, she was gone.

I arrived at the scene shortly after the initial call. Blood still marked the pavement where Carol had fallen. Witnesses were shaken. Neighbors stood in doorways, processing that something so brutal had happened in their neighborhood in the middle of the afternoon. What set this case apart from the start was the evidence waiting for us: a doorbell camera that captured the entire confrontation.

We didn’t have to rely on conflicting stories. The footage told its own chilling narrative.

Who Carol Was – The Woman Behind the Case File

Before diving into the investigation, I want people to know who Carol really was. I spoke with her friends and family in the days after. They didn’t describe a statistic or a headline. They described a vibrant woman who was “born to be a mom.” Her infectious laugh could fill a room. She was loyal, bubbly, the kind of friend who could vanish for years and pick right up where she left off.

She had five children, including a 17-year-old son who should have been focused on walking across the graduation stage. Instead, he’s navigating life without his mother. One friend told me Carol had called her that very morning. A missed call. The kind we all ignore. That friend still carries the weight of wondering “what if.” I’ve seen that guilt in too many cases. It never fully leaves.

Carol wasn’t looking for trouble that day. She was a mother going about her life in our small city of roughly 35,000 people. Two hours west of San Antonio, Del Rio is the kind of place where everyone seems connected somehow. That connection, in this case, turned deadly.

The Footage That Told the Story

My team reviewed the doorbell camera video within hours. It was clear, timestamped, and devastating.

Carol pulled up first in a black pickup truck. Moments later, a black Chrysler arrived. Out stepped Kitty Mia Diaz, 21, and her sister Amaya “Cookie” Diaz, 19, along with their associate Cayandra Renee Faz, 21. According to the evidence, Cookie was holding an object in her right hand that we believed to be a knife.

The confrontation escalated quickly. Cookie struck Carol in the back—the exact spot where blood soon soaked through her red tank top and clothing. Kitty joined the physical assault. Faz participated as well. Three against one. Carol was stabbed three times: twice in the back and once in the stomach. Close-range, personal, and vicious. This wasn’t a distant attack. It was hands-on brutality in the Texas heat.

After the assault, the three fled the scene. But they didn’t get far.

The Rapid Arrests and What We Found

One of the most striking aspects of this investigation was the speed. From the hospital alert to arrests, roughly two hours. We traced the vehicle and the suspects to a second residence on the other side of town. The black Chrysler was parked right out front—like it was waiting for us.

When we arrived around 4:00 PM, Kitty and Cookie were inside. They had changed clothes. Both had recently showered; their hair was still wet. Inside the home, we located the pink tank top and blue jeans Kitty had worn during the attack. They were already placed in the washing machine. That discovery led to the additional tampering with evidence charge against Kitty—a charge her sister and Faz did not face.

Kitty’s four-year-old son was in the home when we took the sisters into custody. Seeing that child amid the chaos of an arrest in a murder case is something that stays with you as a detective. Here was a boy whose mother had posted so many loving videos about him, now facing the reality of her being led away in handcuffs.

Faz was arrested shortly afterward. All three were transported without major incident. Their bonds were set at $5 million each. Court records list them as unemployed. They remain in custody as the case moves forward.

The Arrest Video That Shocked Everyone

I’ve seen my share of arrests, but the footage from that day still bothers me. Handcuffed and walking toward the patrol car, Kitty and Cookie smiled. One turned to the camera and joked, sticking out her tongue like it was all some kind of game. This wasn’t hours after Carol had already passed—they were smiling while Carol was still fighting for her life in a San Antonio hospital.

As the detective who helped build this case, that behavior raised serious questions about remorse, mindset, and how these young women—two of them mothers themselves—processed what had just occurred. Kitty, in particular, had portrayed herself on social media as a devoted mom. The contrast between those posts and the allegations is difficult to reconcile.

Understanding the Charges: Law of Parties

Many people have asked me how all three can face murder charges if only one allegedly wielded the knife. The answer lies in Texas law—the law of parties. When individuals act together in the commission of a crime, each participant can be held accountable as if they committed the offense themselves. Collaboration, participation, and presence during the act matter.

The camera footage, witness statements, and physical evidence supported charging all three. Cookie is alleged to have done the actual stabbing, but the others’ involvement placed them squarely in the same legal category.

As of now, they have not been formally indicted by a grand jury. The police documents recommend murder charges (and tampering for Kitty), but the formal process continues. They are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. My job is to follow the evidence, not rush to judgment.

The Missing Pieces: Motive and Connections

Even with strong video evidence, key questions remain open—questions I continue to pursue.

We know this wasn’t random. Carol knew these women. She had a reason to be at that address. But the exact motive—the history, the grudge, whatever sparked the violence—has not been fully made public. Faz initially claimed Carol arrived looking to fight, but statements from suspects require careful verification.

We’re still clarifying relationships. Who exactly lived at the attack house? Why did everyone converge there? Faz lived next door, which adds another layer. And while we have strong leads on the weapon, full forensic confirmation is ongoing.

These loose threads could prove critical as the case moves to trial. More documents and evidence will likely surface.

The Human Toll I Saw Firsthand

As a detective, I’ve notified families of loss before. But standing with Carol’s loved ones, hearing stories about her laugh, her dedication to her kids, and seeing the impact on her oldest son—it reminds you why this work matters. Five children lost their mother in a matter of minutes. A community lost a vibrant person.

The accused also had lives and families. Kitty’s young son will grow up with this shadow. That doesn’t excuse alleged actions, but it adds layers of tragedy to an already horrific event.

Final Thoughts from the Investigator

Working this case reinforced something I’ve learned over many years: violence like this ripples outward. It destroys families, shocks neighborhoods, and leaves questions that may never have satisfying answers. The surveillance camera was a game-changer here—it provided clarity in chaos. Without it, the investigation would have been far more difficult.

To the public: focus on the facts, not just the shocking arrest video. Carol was more than her worst day. She was a mother, a friend, a woman full of life. Her memory deserves honor beyond the spectacle.

We will continue building the strongest case possible. Justice for Carol and her family is the goal. As new information emerges—indictments, trial dates, additional evidence—I’ll be here following every lead.

If you’re reading this and knew Carol, reach out to her family. Share the good memories. Support those five kids however you can. In small towns like Del Rio, that’s how we heal.

This account is based on my direct participation, police documents, and evidence available during the investigation. Details are allegations until proven in court. Kitty Diaz, Amaya “Cookie” Diaz, and Cayandra Renee Faz are presumed innocent unless and until a jury decides otherwise.

We owe it to Carol not to look away.

— Detective Brian Colwel Del Rio Police Department