Friends of man who stabbed his girlfriend before shooting himself say she had cheated on him

Friends of a beloved reading teacher say she cheated on her fiancé shortly before he stabbed her to death and shot himself while their baby cried in a nearby crib.

They said Carlos Diaz, 25, was in a “blind rage” for a while after the discovery, which only got worse when he discovered Amanda Hicks, 26, had an abortion.

Hicks was found stabbed to death Saturday in their new apartment in Port St. Lucie, Florida, while Diaz lay dead just feet away from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Officers have said that when they arrived at the residence, they heard the couple’s 11-month-old daughter crying inside and found her in a crib a stone’s throw from her parents’ dead bodies.

The girl was unharmed in the altercation and is now in the custody of Diaz’s parents.

Hicks’ friends said they were shocked to find out what happened to the couple, even though they acknowledged that Diaz and Hicks had relationship problems after Hicks aborted a pregnancy.

She insisted the child was Diaz’s, but his family became suspicious of who the baby’s father was 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 that was a problem, among other things, and he just got furious—a blind rage.”

The friends shared how Hicks, who was also an aspiring bikini model, met Diaz about three years ago when they both worked at Port St. Lucie School and quickly fell in love.

They thought it was a healthy relationship.

“Amanda had been in some bad relationships with really controlling boyfriends,” a friend said. “But she was so happy with Carlos.

“They were both very passionate about teaching and kids, they bonded over that.”

Things in the relationship moved quickly, Hicks’ friends said, with the teacher moving in with Diaz and his parents in a small apartment soon after they got together.

The couple had sometimes heated arguments fueled by alcohol, the unnamed sources told the Post, but they thought Hicks was finally “Mr. Right.’

“He was the best friend she’d had,” said one friend. “He treated her very well in public, he was nice to her.

“But he had a short temper, which was a bit in the background.”

Both Hicks and her fiancé had substance abuse issues and a criminal past.

Diaz was charged with battery in 2020 over an incident involving his brother at his parents’ home, according to police records obtained by CBS 12, stating that he even went so far as to threaten to kill his brother.

However, the brother told the news station it was just an argument that got out of hand, and the charges were eventually dropped.

But the following year, Diaz didn’t advocate for another battery charge.

Meanwhile, Hicks was twice charged with drunk driving and was at one point ordered to wear an ankle bracelet.

Sources close to the couple said that after the birth of their daughter, Diaz resolved some of his drug problems and decided to focus on school, preparing to become a full-time teacher.

That all came crashing down months ago when Diaz found out that Hicks was cheating 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 was aggressive in the past, so we were concerned,” said a friend. “But she told us they were working on it, that it would be fine.”

Instead, the relationship continued to deteriorate and Hicks often got drunk, inflaming already high tensions.

At some point, the couple decided more space was in order and moved into the Peacock Run Apartments on Northwest East Torino Parkway, where neighbors said the couple were calm and friendly and often in love with their young daughter.

Some said there were no outward signs that Hicks and Diaz were having problems, though they noticed the pair often alternated between talkative and oddly reserved.

Meanwhile, a source close to Diaz said he was thinking about 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 divorce her.”

Those tensions apparently came to a head on the night of May 26, when a neighbor reported hearing piercing screams.

“We thought it was just a fight, you have that a lot here,” said a neighbor.

But at 12:47 a.m., another resident’s Ring doorbell camera picked up the sound of a gunshot.

That 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 that morning when one of Diaz’s relatives called police to conduct a welfare 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.

Since then, tributes have been pouring in for the teacher from friends and family, and her brother, Eric, is raising money for his sister’s funeral.

“You guys will please help us raise money for my sister and stuff’s funeral and service,” he wrote.

Raquel Magallon, a close friend of Hicks, told WBPF that 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 cheerful and always energetic. She was just an angel. Every time I saw her she certainly brightened my day.”

A childhood friend Maria Uphues wrote on Facebook, “While the plan was to grow old and reminisce about all the highs and lows we’ve been through, I’m so grateful to have had you in my life for the past 19 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 thankful that the baby, Alani, was found unharmed.

“I can’t even express my gratitude that Alani was found unharmed, but nothing can ever fully replace her parents by her side.”

“I love you girl and look forward to hugging you again one day,” she said.