A Texas community is mourning the loss of a mother of five after a fatal stabbing in broad daylight ended with the arrests of three young women, including two sisters who were captured on video smiling as police led them away in handcuffs.

Authorities say 32-year-old Caroline Peña, known to friends and family as “Caro,” died Thursday night after suffering multiple stab wounds during an attack in Del Rio, a city roughly two hours west of San Antonio. Investigators have charged Kitty Mia Diaz, 21, her 19-year-old sister Amaya Cookie Diaz, and 21-year-old Kyandra Renee Faz with murder as they continue to piece together what led to the deadly confrontation.

The killing has shocked residents not only because it happened in the middle of the day on a busy street, but also because videos of both the attack and the suspects’ arrests quickly spread across social media, intensifying public outrage and grief.

According to the Del Rio Police Department, officers were dispatched shortly after 2:10 p.m. to Val Verde Regional Medical Center after Peña arrived with multiple stab wounds.

Medical personnel immediately began treating her before arranging for her transfer to a trauma facility in San Antonio, where doctors attempted emergency surgery.

Despite those efforts, Peña died around 9 p.m.

Police later determined the stabbing had occurred at another location in Del Rio. Investigators responded to the scene, interviewed witnesses and reviewed surveillance footage that allegedly helped identify those involved.

Within hours, authorities arrested the three suspects.

All three women were booked into the GEO Correctional Facility on murder charges while awaiting their first court appearances.

Police have emphasized that the investigation remains active and that additional charges could be filed as detectives continue gathering evidence.

Officials have not publicly disclosed a motive for the attack.

One of the most widely shared videos following the arrests showed Kitty Mia Diaz and Amaya Cookie Diaz being escorted by officers toward separate patrol vehicles.

As cameras recorded the scene, both sisters appeared to glance toward the person filming. At moments during the footage, each appeared to smile or smirk while being placed into police vehicles.

The video has generated widespread reaction online, with many viewers questioning the expressions captured during the arrests.

Shortly afterward, a woman identifying herself as the suspects’ mother approached the individual recording the video.

“Can you please not record?” she can be heard saying.

“That’s my house and those are my daughters.”

She repeated her request before walking toward officers gathered nearby.

The emotional encounter underscored another dimension of the tragedy, highlighting how the investigation has affected multiple families in the close-knit border community.

For Peña’s loved ones, however, attention has remained focused on remembering the woman they lost.

Friends describe her as someone who consistently put others before herself despite raising five children.

Zelina Ochoa, who knew Peña for years, said the violence unfolded in one of Del Rio’s busiest areas.

“This wasn’t something that happened in a back alley,” Ochoa told local television station KENS 5.

“This happened at the corner near Sonic on one of our busiest roads in broad daylight.”

According to friends, disturbing videos of the stabbing circulated online in the hours after the attack before many were removed.

One reportedly showed Peña wearing a blood-soaked shirt while surrounded by three women.

Police have not publicly commented on the authenticity of those videos.

For those who knew Peña personally, the images stand in stark contrast to the woman they remember.

Ochoa recalled meeting Peña years ago through a young parenting program designed to help teenage mothers continue their education while raising children.

The friendship that formed lasted for years.

“Me and Caro, we go way, way back,” Ochoa said.

“We got to take our sons to school and we did the school thing together while we had our kids at school with us.”

She described Peña as someone who would never hesitate to help another person in need.

“If you needed something and she had it, even if it was her last, she’d give it to you,” Ochoa said.

Another close friend, Lupita Garza, echoed those sentiments.

According to Garza, Peña possessed a rare kindness that left lasting impressions on nearly everyone she met.

“Caro was one of a kind,” Garza said.

“She helped everyone who was in need.”

Garza also remembered Peña’s warmth, her hugs and the infectious laugh that friends say brightened every room she entered.

“She always made sure she had a smile on her face everywhere she went,” Garza added.

Among those struggling most with the loss is Peña’s best friend, Christina Salinas.

Salinas revealed she had spent time with Peña the evening before the fatal attack.

Then came a moment she says she will replay in her mind forever.

Shortly before the stabbing, Peña attempted to call her.

Salinas missed the call.

“I feel like if I would have answered that call, honestly I would have been there with her,” Salinas said.

“It wouldn’t have gotten like that.”

Whether answering the phone could have changed anything is impossible to know, but Salinas admitted the unanswered call continues to weigh heavily on her.

Peña leaves behind five children, including a 17-year-old son who friends say is preparing to graduate from high school.

She was also a twin sister, making the loss even more devastating for her extended family.

Friends say her children are now facing life without the woman who devoted herself to raising them.

Although investigators moved quickly to make arrests, Peña’s loved ones say justice in court cannot erase the pain left behind.

“Those girls are in jail,” Ochoa said.

“Eventually they’ll see their kids, but Caro is a memory now.”

“Those kids were left without a mom.”

As detectives continue interviewing witnesses and reviewing evidence, authorities have urged anyone who may have seen the confrontation or possesses additional information to contact investigators.

Police have not released details regarding what relationship, if any, existed between Peña and the three suspects before the deadly encounter.

Investigators also have not said whether the attack was planned or whether it escalated from an earlier dispute.

Those questions remain central to the ongoing investigation.

Meanwhile, family members and friends continue honoring Peña’s memory through tributes describing her generosity, compassion and dedication as a mother.

Flowers and messages of remembrance have appeared online as community members express support for the children left behind.

For many in Del Rio, the tragedy has become a painful reminder of how quickly violence can shatter lives.

What began as an ordinary afternoon ended with a mother dead, five children grieving, three young women facing murder charges and an entire community searching for answers about what sparked the fatal confrontation.

As prosecutors prepare their case and investigators continue collecting evidence, Peña’s loved ones say their focus remains on ensuring she is remembered not for the violence that ended her life, but for the kindness, loyalty and love she showed to everyone fortunate enough to know her.