A 19-year-old Texas woman accused of fatally stabbing a mother of five in broad daylight has been released from jail after a $2 million bond was posted in her case.

Amaya “Cookie” Diaz, 19, is charged alongside her sister, Kitty Mia Diaz, 21, and their friend, Kyandra Renee Faz, 21, in the June 25 killing of 32-year-old Caroline “Caro” Peña.

The three women were arrested soon after Peña’s death. Amaya, who investigators allege was carrying the knife, walked out of the Val Verde County Correctional Facility in Del Rio on Tuesday after securing her release.

The Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office and the correctional facility confirmed to the New York Post that the Diaz family paid $200,000 toward the $2 million bond. Kitty remains in custody.

Bail bond agencies commonly charge about 10% of a defendant’s total bond as the fee for arranging release.

An employee with El Amigo Bonding told the Post that the precise arrangement used in Amaya’s case was private and known only to the family that requested the bond.

The representative also indicated that tensions had already emerged in connection with the case.

“We know that when someone gets killed, problems will happen. And it’s already happening, so [the Diaz family] has to lie low,” the bonding company employee said.

“But we know that justice will prevail. Justice always prevails,” he added.

The Diaz sisters have not yet entered pleas to charges of murder and tampering with evidence. Faz has pleaded not guilty.

All three suspects were taken into custody on the day Peña was killed. Police said, however, that Kitty and Amaya showered before officers formally placed them in handcuffs.

According to the criminal complaint, investigators noticed that the sisters were no longer wearing the clothing seen in earlier video footage. Their hair was also wet, leading police to conclude they had recently showered.

Video from the arrests appeared to show the three women smiling after changing into different clothes.

Amaya was also seen grinning and smirking as officers escorted her away.

Authorities have not explained why Peña went to a home in the 800 block of East 10th Street to meet the women. Her uncle, however, said the victim and the suspects were acquainted.

“It’s a small town. I knew one of their uncles. Their family, everyone has a connection, so it’s even harder,” Peña’s unnamed uncle told the Daily Mail by phone from Del Rio. “I worked with him for 30 years. They were close to us. What can you do?”

The uncle did not speculate on the motive behind the attack, however, police revealed the whole confrontation and killing was captured on video from cameras at Faz’s house. 

‘Carolina was observed arriving at Kyandra’s residence and exiting a black Dodge pickup truck,’ the criminal complaint stated.

‘Shortly after, a black Chrysler 300 arrives on scene, to which Amaya and Kitty exit and confront Carolina. Within the video footage, Amaya is observed exiting the front passenger seat of the vehicle and approaching Carolina.’

Amaya allegedly arrived with a knife in her hand.

‘Within the video footage, Amaya is observed with an object believed to be a knife in her right hand. Amaya and Carolina get into an altercation, and Amaya is observed striking Carolina in the back, where blood can be observed on the back of her shirt,’ the complaint reads.

Kitty and Faz then allegedly joined in the assault before all four women separated and left.

Peña was taken to a local hospital before being transferred to a hospital in San Antonio due to the severity of her wounds.

She died hours later, leaving behind five children, ages three to 16.

Two of Peña’s children are autistic and are being cared for by relatives following their mother’s death.

A photograph taken of the women after the attack was posted on a local Facebook page before later being removed.

The image shows Pena’s white top covered in blood.

Zelina Ochoa, the victim’s friend, said the image was especially difficult to process because she believes it illustrated the imbalance between the alleged attackers and the victim.

‘It’s a very powerful picture because it shows, you know, these three girls showed up with their weapons and Caro showed up with nothing but her hands,’ Ochoa said.

Cookie’s arraignment is scheduled for November 4 after previously appearing in court to have her bond lowered from $5 million to $2 million. Her sister’s bail was lowered as well and has not had her next court date scheduled yet. 

Faz is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on December 11 and remains in custody on $5.2 million bond.

For years, travelers have chased a supposed formula for finding cheap flights: browse in incognito mode, delete your cookies and book on a Tuesday.

These days, that advice is about as current as printing directions before setting off on a road trip.

Airfares now shift constantly in response to real-time demand and search data. As a result, no single day of the week is guaranteed to deliver the lowest price.

The more reliable strategy is to stay flexible about travel dates, track fares regularly and learn when prices are typically at their lowest.

New Google Flights data for 2026 shows that domestic tickets have recently reached their lowest prices about 39 days before departure, while international travel generally favors booking further in advance.

Travel specialists Cory Miller and Erika Kullberg told the Daily Mail that passengers should avoid both panic-buying and holding out until the final moment for an unlikely bargain.

Because the price of the same flight can swing by hundreds of dollars, patience and regular monitoring may save far more than repeatedly refreshing a booking site on Tuesday morning.

Here are the flight-booking strategies that may leave travelers with more money to spend once they reach their destination.

Forget the Tuesday booking myth

There is no reason to set an alarm for Tuesday and rush to search for airfare.

Cory Miller, founder of The Flight Expert, says the long-standing belief that airlines release their cheapest tickets on a specific day no longer reflects how fares are priced.

‘Buying on Tuesdays is an outdated idea. Algorithms adjust prices 24/7, making the purchase day irrelevant,’ he says. The more important consideration, he adds, is the day you actually travel.

Miller says flying during the middle of the week can often cost less because demand is lower, creating potential savings over weekend departures.

Erika Kullberg, a lawyer and personal finance expert, also says the travel date usually matters much more than the day a ticket is purchased.

‘Fares are driven by demand, and typically mid-week flights have lower demand,’ she says. ‘So, if you have flexibility on dates, it’s better to fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday.’

Recent research supports that approach. Expedia’s 2026 Air Hacks report identified Tuesday as the least expensive day for domestic flights, with average fares 14 percent lower than Sunday departures.

Google’s latest 2026 analysis likewise found that shifting the dates of a trip can make a substantially greater difference than changing the day on which the ticket is booked.

Put simply, the key question is not whether you buy on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. It is whether you can travel on a less busy day.

Start watching well before you’re ready to buy

One of the most common booking mistakes is believing travelers must choose between buying extremely early and waiting until the last possible minute.

The better approach is to start monitoring prices well before the trip. Miller recommends watching domestic flights around three to six months ahead and aiming to buy roughly one to three months before departure.

For international trips, he suggests starting the process six to 12 months out and aiming to book at least three months before takeoff.

‘The one window to avoid is the final 30 to 45 days before departure, when fares usually climb,’ Miller said.

There is an important caveat: There is no universal booking window that works for every route.

Google’s latest flight data found that US domestic fares have recently been cheapest around 39 days before departure, with a broader low-price range of roughly 22 to 57 days.

For international flights, Google found the lowest prices around 89 days before departure, although the low-price range stretched from roughly 50 days onward.

That means travelers should use these numbers as a guide rather than a countdown clock.

Peak periods are another matter. For Christmas, Thanksgiving, spring break and major school holidays, experts recommend being more cautious about leaving things until the last minute because demand can overwhelm the cheaper seats.

Let the price come to you

Rather than checking the same flight every morning and watching the price creep up and down, set an alert and let technology do the stalking for you.

Google Flights has a free ‘track prices’ feature that can send notifications when fares change significantly. Travelers can monitor particular dates or select ‘Any dates’ if they have flexibility. Kullberg says this can make a dramatic difference.

‘I tracked one round trip from Tokyo to New York where the price ranged from $1,643 at its peak to $914 at its lowest,’ she says.

‘That’s a $729 difference for the exact same trip, just from booking at the right moment.’ That is why it can pay to start looking before you actually need to buy.

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Google Flights can also warn users when its system predicts that prices are likely to rise, although its forecasts are not guarantees.

The trick is not to wait forever for the mythical rock-bottom fare. If a price already looks unusually good, there is always a risk that waiting for something even cheaper will end with a much more expensive ticket.

Don’t bother with incognito mode

If you have ever frantically opened a private browser window after seeing a fare jump by $100, you are not alone.

But there is little reason to believe that airlines are punishing you for repeatedly searching for the same flight. Miller says airlines do not use cookies or an individual’s search history to raise fares.

‘Fares increase simply because real-time demand fills the cheapest seat buckets,’ he says.

That means a price can genuinely rise while you are searching – but that does not necessarily mean the airline has spotted you personally and decided to charge you more.

As cheaper fare buckets sell out, the next available price can simply be higher. So go ahead and use incognito mode if it makes you feel better, but don’t expect it to magically unlock a cheaper ticket.

Be flexible – even by a day

Flexibility is one of the most powerful weapons in the bargain hunter’s arsenal.

If your schedule allows it, check the days immediately before and after your planned departure rather than searching only one fixed date.

Google Flights’ calendar and price-graph tools make it easy to see how fares change across different days.

Kullberg recommends using the calendar view to spot cheaper dates and the ‘Explore’ map to see where you could fly for less.

This can also mean considering a different airport.

A flight from a nearby airport may be considerably cheaper than the most convenient option, although travelers should factor in the cost and time of getting there before declaring victory.

And don’t automatically assume a nonstop is the cheapest choice. Google’s latest data found that nonstop tickets can cost around 20 percent more on average than itineraries with a connection.

For a short flight, the extra connection may not be worth the hassle. But on a long-haul trip, it could potentially make a substantial dent in the fare.

If the price drops after you book, don’t panic

Finding out that your flight has dropped in price the day after booking can feel like a personal insult.

But depending on the airline and fare type, you may not necessarily be stuck with the original price.

Miller recommends setting price alerts even after booking, particularly when the ticket allows changes without a fee.

‘If you book Main Cabin on a major U.S. carrier, there are no change fees,’ he says. ‘If the price drops later, you can rebook and get the difference as travel credit.’

The important words here are ‘fare type’ and ‘airline.’

Basic economy tickets often have more restrictions, while policies vary between carriers, so travelers should check the exact conditions attached to their ticket before assuming they can rebook.

If a cheaper fare appears, compare the new ticket price with any cancellation restrictions or fare differences before making a change.

Have a last-minute backup plan

Sometimes life gets in the way and you have no choice but to book late.

That is when Kullberg suggests looking beyond cash fares.

‘Cash fares usually jump close to departure, but award prices often stay flat,’ she says.

‘Last minute is when points and miles give you the most value.’

For travelers with a stash of airline miles or credit-card points, award availability can therefore be worth checking before handing over a large cash payment.

Kullberg recommends Seats.aero as one tool for searching award availability across multiple airline and loyalty programs.

The site allows users to search for flights bookable with points and miles and set alerts for award availability.

But award seats can disappear quickly, and mileage prices can also change, so travelers should always confirm the final availability and terms with the airline or loyalty program before booking.

A Nevada woman once imprisoned and publicly branded a “baby killer” after a miscarriage has secured a $1.6 million settlement in a case that a judge later called a “total miscarriage of justice.”

Patience Rousseau, now 34, was sentenced in 2019 to as many as eight years in prison after prosecutors claimed she had deliberately caused the end of her pregnancy.

Her conviction relied on a 1911 Nevada statute that prohibited using drugs or other substances to terminate a pregnancy after 24 weeks.

A judge eventually dismissed the conviction, sharply criticizing the prosecution and describing Rousseau’s treatment as a “total miscarriage of justice.”

“They fought so much to avoid paying me,” Rousseau said. “I went through so much, and so did my children, who are still facing these issues. It’s not fair.”

In March, her attorneys sent Humboldt County a demand letter alleging violations of state law and Rousseau’s state and federal constitutional rights, as well as intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to the Nevada Independent.

The settlement was completed in early August. About $1.2 million is designated for Rousseau, who now lives in South Dakota with her three sons.

Rousseau was 26 and living in Winnemucca in 2018 when she learned that she was pregnant.

At the time, she was uncertain how far the pregnancy had progressed and wanted to obtain an abortion.

But according to the outlet, Rousseau had no transportation to travel to Reno for an appointment.

In an effort to end the pregnancy on her own, she consumed large quantities of cinnamon and lifted heavy objects—unproven methods she believed might trigger a miscarriage.

In April 2018, she miscarried and delivered a stillborn baby. She named him Abel and buried him in her backyard.

“I’m so sorry Abel. I’m sorry I’m a horrible person,” Rousseau wrote in a Facebook post soon afterward.

Several officers came to her home the following month and initially pointed to her cinnamon use as evidence that she had attempted to cause the miscarriage.

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Investigators also focused on Rousseau’s use of methamphetamine, marijuana and cigarettes during the pregnancy.

Prosecutors maintained that she had taken drugs to induce the miscarriage, violating Nevada’s century-old law.

She was arrested and charged with felony manslaughter.

Following advice from her public defender, Rousseau pleaded guilty and entered prison in 2019. She ultimately spent more than two years behind bars.

Prior to her sentencing, she detailed to the Washington Post how she was outcast in her town, noting how she lost friends and was harassed.

Rousseau said the first time she tried going to the grocery store, a group of teenage boys chased her down the aisle yelling, ‘baby killer.’

However, in 2021, her conviction was tossed after Laura FitzSimmons, Rousseau’s new attorney, argued the prosecution could not prove Rousseau’s drug use caused her miscarriage.

The medical examiner could also not determine what caused the miscarriage and found no evidence that the child was born alive.

The examiner estimated that Rousseau was between 28 and 32 weeks pregnant at the time of the miscarriage.

Other experts later testified that it was impossible to determine what caused her to lose the pregnancy.

On June 28, 2021, a judge ruled that her conviction should be set aside based on ineffective assistance of counsel.

According to FitzSimmons, Rousseau is the only person who has ever been prosecuted under the 1911 abortion law, as per the Nevada Independent.

Humboldt County officials expressed interest in prosecuting her again, but in 2025, her attorney successfully had the charges dismissed with prejudice, preventing them from ever being brought again.

Rousseau, who now lives in South Dakota, told the outlet: ‘I don’t ever want to come back to Nevada again, or honestly ever see any of the people in Winnemucca again. They ruined it for me.’

Sam Wood has exchanged a life of luxury for custody in a high-security prison where sexual assaults, poor food and a strict social media ban have been reported. A criminal psychologist has warned the celebrity could become a target behind bars.

The 46-year-old remains in custody over an alleged domestic violence incident involving his wife, Snezana, at their $3,000-a-night holiday accommodation on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast last Saturday.

Wood spent five nights in a holding cell at Maroochydore Watchhouse before being transferred under cover of darkness to Brisbane Correctional Centre, 121 kilometres away. The move followed his appearance in court on Thursday, when bail was refused.

The high-security facility, located in Wacol in Brisbane’s south-west, is the main centre for male inmates recently remanded in custody across south-east Queensland.

Wood is expected to remain there for at least six weeks. The prison accommodates mainstream inmates from the general population, protection prisoners separated from others for their safety, and residential prisoners housed in less restrictive, communal-style units.

His surroundings will be a dramatic contrast to the sprawling $7.15 million mansion in Brighton, Melbourne’s affluent bayside suburb, where he and his family moved earlier this year.

Rather than the comforts of his luxury home, Wood will face the strict routines of prison life. Criminal psychologist Dr Tim Watson-Munro has cautioned that his public profile could make him vulnerable inside.

“In general principle, anyone who has a profile becomes a potential target in prison,” he told the Daily Mail.

“If they’re perceived to be people of wealth, which he is, there may be a standover for money, or they may want money for protection,” Dr Watson-Munro said.

“There are also prisoners who make targets of celebrities because of the kudos attached to beating up a celebrity.”

Dr Watson-Munro said prison authorities evaluate the risks facing high-profile inmates individually, with some moved into protective custody to safeguard them.

“Depending on the level of threat and risk analysis, they may put him in protection for a while,” he said.

“The intel on these things is pretty good, so if they get word that he is a target either for standover or to be beaten up, they may suggest he goes into protection.”

However, Dr Watson-Munro warned that providing Wood with special treatment could increase tensions with other prisoners.

“It would just aggravate the problem he would have with other prisoners, as they don’t like that type of thing.”

On arrival at Brisbane Correctional Centre, inmates are issued prison-green clothing, photographed and given a psychological assessment before being taken to their accommodation unit.

Most inmates are housed in shared cells equipped with a bed, shower and toilet.

New arrivals are often placed in the S6 unit, which is designed to accommodate 60 prisoners but frequently holds far more.

One former prisoner warned that sharing a cell was almost unavoidable, offering a grim insight into daily life behind bars.

‘You might get lucky and get a cell to yourself, but it won’t last,’ the former prisoner said.

‘You will end up sharing at some point, and the best thing to do is just be chill.

‘You’ll have to shower while you’re in together, but once again try to avoid sh***ing in your cell if you’re sharing.

‘Do it in the common area toilet. The food is crap, but it’s edible.’

The prison has also come under intense official scrutiny over its appalling conditions, with a scathing Queensland Ombudsman report released earlier this year making 55 recommendations for improvement.

Inspectors found inmates were being served undercooked chicken, with some prisoners reporting they had fallen ill after eating it. 

‘We observed undercooked chicken wings, which were visibly bloody and being served to staff and visitors,’ the report said.

In another disturbing finding, prisoners under investigation for allegedly sexually assaulting their cellmates were allowed to continue sharing cells with other inmates, despite rules requiring them to be housed alone.

The investigation also found overcrowding which often led to bullying and violence. 

In response to the ombudsman’s report, Queensland Corrections Services said that the majority of recommendations ‘have been actioned or are in progress’. 

Daily life inside the prison follows a strict routine, with set times for head counts, meals in communal areas and activities including education, recreation, hobbies and work programs.

Wood will be allowed to keep up to $1,000 in a personal prison trust account to purchase approved items, including food, art supplies and reading material.

He may also be able to rent a television, but for a man who has amassed millions of followers online, the biggest adjustment could be losing access to the digital world.

Mobile phones, the internet, emails and social media are strictly off-limits.

The fitness entrepreneur will be allowed at least two hours of outdoor exercise each day, along with access to basic gym equipment.

However, he will have to make do without the tennis court and swimming pool he enjoys at his family’s luxury Brighton home.

Contact with the outside world will also be heavily restricted, with Wood permitted two one-hour face-to-face visits each week between Wednesday and Sunday.

He may also be allowed one virtual visit per week, with all visits required to be booked at least seven days in advance.

Wood was remanded in custody on charges of assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in a domestic setting.

Solicitor Mathew Cuskelly indicated that Wood will fight the charges and will apply for bail in the Supreme Court in the coming weeks.

Wood’s case will return to court on November 23. 

The court heard on Thursday that Wood’s wife Snezana feared that he was going to kill her at their $3,000-a-night holiday rental at La Mer in Noosa last Saturday night. 

It is alleged a row broke out as the couple were packing their belongings to return home to Melbourne.

Wood is then alleged to have put his hands around Snezana’s throat and forced her to the floor, where he pinned her down and banged her head on the floor, leaving her unable to breathe.

She told police she thought ‘this was it… her life was going to end’. She said she thought Wood was ‘going to kill her’, the court heard.

It also heard that Wood had previously choked Snezana and thrown her against the floor and a wall at their home in Victoria in an earlier alleged domestic violence attack. Wood was not charged over the previous incident.

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