Friends of a beloved reading teacher say she had cheated on his fiancee shortly before he stabbed her to death and shot himself while their baby was crying in a nearby crib.
They said Carlos Diaz, 25, was in a “blind rage” for some time after the discovery, which only got worse when he found out Amanda Hicks, 26, had had an abortion.
Hicks was found stabbed to death in their new apartment in Port St. Lucie, Florida on Saturday, with Diaz lying dead several feet away from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Officers said when they arrived at the residence, they heard the couple’s 11-month-old daughter crying inside and found her in a crib a few feet from her parents’ corpses.
The girl was unharmed in the altercation and is now in the care of Diaz’s parents.
Friends say Carlos Diaz, 25, was in ‘blind rage’ when he stabbed his fiancée Amanda Hicks, 26, to death and killed himself over the weekend
The couple had a baby girl, who was found unharmed in a crib near her parents’ bodies
Police confirm that Amanda Hicks was stabbed to death by her fiancé, Carlos Diaz. Cops are pictured outside the Peacock Run apartment complex on Saturday where they found Hicks dead with Diaz
Hicks’ friends said they were shocked to find out what happened to the couple, although they acknowledged that Diaz and Hicks had relationship issues after Hicks terminated a pregnancy.
She insisted the child belonged to Diaz, but her family were suspicious of the identity of the baby’s father after she admitted to having an affair.
“She said they were working on it,” a lifelong friend told the New York Post. “But I think it was just one problem, and he just went into a rage – a blind rage.”
The friends shared how Hicks, who was also an aspiring bikini model, met Diaz about three years ago when they were both working at the school in Port St. Lucie and quickly fell in love.
They thought it was a healthy relationship.
“Amanda had had bad relationships with really controlling boyfriends,” a friend said. “But she was so happy with Carlos.
“They were both really passionate about teaching and kids, they bonded over that.”
Things in the relationship moved quickly, Hicks’ friends said, with the professor moving in with Diaz and her parents into a small apartment shortly after they met.
The couple would occasionally have heated arguments fueled by alcohol, unnamed sources told the Post, but they believe Hicks eventually found ‘Mr. LAW.’
“He was the best boyfriend she had,” a friend said. “He treated her very well in public, he was nice to her.
“But he had a temper, it was kind of there in the background.”
Hicks’ friends said they were shocked to find out what happened to the pair, even as they acknowledged Diaz and Hicks had relationship issues.
Friends thought it was a healthy relationship. Hicks is seen in a YouTube video discussing her favorite places to snorkel along the Florida coast
Hicks had apparently admitted to having an affair and then had an abortion – although she insisted Diaz was the father
Hicks and his fiancée had substance abuse issues and criminal histories.
Diaz was charged with assault and battery in 2020 for an incident with his brother at his parents’ house, according to police records obtained by CBS12, who claim that he even went so far as to threaten to kill his brother.
The brother, however, told the news station it was just a fight that got out of control and the charge was eventually dropped.
But the following year, Diaz went unchallenged with another battery charge.
During this time, Hicks was twice charged with driving under the influence and at one point was ordered to wear an ankle monitor.
Sources close to the couple said that after the birth of their daughter, Diaz resolved some of his drug issues and decided to focus on school, where he was preparing to become a full-time teacher.
That all came crashing down several months ago when Diaz learned that Hicks had cheated on him.
She insisted the incident was trivial, her friends said, but Diaz was furious.
In the aftermath, friends noticed that she had deleted all of her social media accounts.
“We knew he had a history of aggression so we were worried,” a friend said. “But she told us they were working on it, they would be fine.”
Instead, the relationship continued to deteriorate, and Hicks often got drunk, stoking the already high tensions.
At some point the couple decided more space was needed and moved into the Peacock Run apartments on Torino’s northwest promenade, where neighbors said the couple were quiet and friendly and one could often see him doting on their young daughter.
Some said there were no outward signs that Hicks and Diaz were having trouble, although they did notice the couple often alternated between being chatty and oddly reserved.
Hicks, a sixth grade teacher, is pictured with her mother, who died of cancer in December 2018
The couple had recently moved into their new apartment in Port St. Lucie (pictured)
Meanwhile, a source close to Diaz said he was considering leaving Hicks.
“He wanted full custody of the baby and was trying to figure out how to do that,” the unnamed source said. “She didn’t know, but he was going to separate from her.
These tensions apparently came to a head on the night of May 26, when a neighbor reported hearing loud screams.
“We thought it was just a fight, you have a lot of those here,” a neighbor said.
But at 12:47 a.m., another resident’s Ring doorbell camera captured the sound of a gunshot.
This neighbor’s friend said he didn’t think much of it at the time.
“There was so much rain and thunder that night,” the friend said. “He didn’t call the police, he wasn’t sure what it was.”
Authorities were not alerted until later in the morning when one of Diaz’s family members called the police for a wellness check after he failed to answer his phone.
Hicks’ death was later confirmed by the principal of Anderson Middle School, where the beloved sixth grade teacher worked.
Hicks is pictured with her brother, Eric, who posted on Facebook ‘All of you please help raise money for my sisters funeral and service and all’
Tributes from friends and family have poured in for the teacher since her death
Since then, tributes from friends and family have been pouring in for the teacher, and her brother, Eric, is raising money for his sister’s funeral.
“All of you please help raise funds for my sisters funeral and service and all,” he wrote.
Raquel Magallon, a close friend of Hicks, told WBPF she was “an angel” who brought joy to all who knew her.
“She just lit up the room,” she said. “She had such a big, beautiful smile. She was always happy and always energetic. She was just an angel. She definitely brightened my day every time I saw her.
Childhood friend Maria Uphues wrote on Facebook: “Even though the plan was to grow old and reminisce about all the ups and downs we’ve been through, I’m so grateful to have had you in my life these 19 last years.”
“You were absolutely beautiful inside and out and this world will never be the same without you… Your creativity was pure art.”
Uphues said she was grateful the baby, Alani, was found safe and sound.
“I can’t even express my gratitude that Alani was found unharmed, but nothing can ever fully replace having her parents by her side.”
“I love you girl and can’t wait to kiss you again one day,” she said.
