Val Verde County murder suspect seeks lower bond in stabbing death case

A woman accused of murder in a Del Rio stabbing death is scheduled to ask a state district judge on Wednesday to reduce her $5 million bond, a move that could determine whether she remains in custody while the case continues in Val Verde County. The request is on file in state district court in Del Rio, and the case remains active.

Natasha A. Torres, a San Antonio attorney appointed to represent the accused woman, is handling the bond request. In hearings like this, the court weighs whether the amount is high enough to ensure the defendant returns to court and whether conditions of release can protect public safety without setting bond higher than necessary. The defense is asking the court to reconsider the current figure, which is among the larger bond amounts used in local criminal cases.

The bond fight is tied to a homicide investigation that began after a stabbing in Del Rio on June 25, 2026. Officers responded to Val Verde Regional Medical Center, where the victim was pronounced dead Thursday evening after suffering multiple stab wounds. Detectives identified three women in the case using surveillance footage, physical evidence and witness interviews: Kitty Mia Diaz, 21; Amaya Cookie Diaz, 19; and Kyandra Renee Faz, 21.

Separate reporting identified the victim as Caroline Peña, 32, and described her as a mother of five. Court records show that 63rd Judicial District Judge Roland Andrade appointed attorneys for the three women on June 26, underscoring that the case had already moved into the pretrial phase before the bond-reduction request was set for Wednesday.

For Val Verde County residents, the immediate question is not the underlying charge alone but how the court manages the case before trial. A lower bond could change whether the accused woman is held in jail or released under court-ordered conditions, while a denial would leave the $5 million figure in place as the prosecution proceeds. The ruling will also signal how the court views the balance between flight risk, community ties and the public-safety concerns that surround a murder case tied to a fatal stabbing in Del Rio.