By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Del Rio police have executed several search warrants, looking for video footage believed to have captured a fight that led to the alleged murder of a 32-year-old Del Rio woman on June 25, the knife used to attack her and clothing worn by her assailants.
According to affidavits filed in state district court here and obtained by The 830 Times on Wednesday, 83rd Judicial District Judge Robert E. Cadena signed orders for search warrants requested by Del Rio Police Department Detective Darian Castro.
In the affidavits, Castro wrote that at 2:10 p.m. on June 25, police officers were called to the emergency room at Val Verde Regional Medical Center after receiving a report from medical personnel they were treating a woman who had been stabbed. He wrote the officers who went to the hospital spoke with witnesses who said the stabbing occurred during an altercation outside a residence in the 800 block of East 10th Street.
When officers went to the East 10th Street residence, they spoke to a woman identified as Kyandra Renee Faz, 22, who told them a woman she identified as Caroline Pena, 32, had come to her residence “looking to start a fight.” Faz told officers at nearly the same time, two of Faz’s friends, identified as Cookie Amaya Diaz, 19, and Kitty Marie Diaz, 21, also arrived at the residence.
Castro wrote “an altercation” then occurred between the four women, and “during the altercation, a knife was brandished and utilized to stab Caroline.”
Castro also wrote he spoke with other police officers who had gone to the East 10th Street residence. Those officers told him they had reviewed video footage from the residence, which showed Pena, then the Diazes, arriving there. He wrote Amaya Diaz was observed “with an object believed to be a knife in her right hand.”
“Amaya and Caroline got into an altercation, and Amaya is observed striking Caroline in the back, (and) blood can be observed on the back of her (Caroline’s) shirt,” Castro wrote.
The detective wrote the video showed Kitty Diaz and Faz also assaulting Pena, and shortly after, Pena and the Diazes leaving the scene.
Pena was taken to Val Verde Regional Medical Center, then later transported to a hospital in San Antonio, where she died.
Castro wrote police officers and detectives later the same day, June 25, located Amaya Diaz’s vehicle outside 322 W. Strickland St., then spoke to Kitty Diaz, who told them Amaya Diaz was inside the home. Castro said both women were taken into custody, and observed both women were no longer wearing the clothing they had on earlier.
Castro wrote Amaya Diaz’s vehicle, a black Chrysler 300, was impounded and towed to the police department’s evidence unit. Castro filed a search warrant affidavit for the Chrysler and noted he was looking for “all fruits of the offense, including a knife or bladed and pointed object utilized to stab the victim” and any clothing worn by the Diazes or Faz during the incident.
Castro filed a separate affidavit requesting a search of Kyandra Faz’s residence at 803 E. 10th St., where the stabbing was alleged to have occurred.
Castro wrote at the East 10th Street residence he was looking for clothing worn by Faz and a video surveillance doorbell camera on the front door of the residence. The detective also wrote he was looking for a red cap belonging to a witness to the attack, which had been taken by Faz, and a pink iPhone belonging to Faz.
In his affidavit, Castro wrote the surveillance footage from Faz’s residence showed a male juvenile witness dropping a red baseball cap during the incident.
Castro wrote the footage showed Faz retrieving the red ball cap and using it “to wipe or smear blood that was present on the bed of a red pickup truck.” Castro wrote Faz then walked back to her residence, still carrying the cap.
Castro wrote he interviewed the juvenile witness several days later, on June 29. Castro wrote the witness told police that Pena was his aunt.
The witness told police that Pena had taken him to Faz’s residence in her vehicle and on the way there, she used her cell phone to call Faz, Castro wrote.
The detective noted the witness told police Faz and Pena “engaged in a verbal argument over speakerphone.” The witness also told police he believed Faz had contacted the Diazes by phone to tell them Pena was on her way to Faz’s residence.
Castro also wrote after the Diazes were taken into custody and ferried to the police station, they were placed in separate holding cells.
“While in the holding cells, Kitty and Amaya began began shouting remarks to one another regarding the incident, which were overheard by detectives in the area,” Castro wrote.
Castro filed another affidavit to search the residence of Amaya Cookie Diaz, 322 W. Strickland St. Castro wrote he was looking for “any clothing or item that contains blood,” a knife that was used during the attack and Blink cameras attached to the residence that would have captured the arrival of Diaz and Kitty Marie Diaz to the residence.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com.
