Krystle Villanueva was charged and arrested on January 5 for her daughter's murder and for assaulting her father-in-law with a knife

A mom appears to be choking back laughter in her mugshot after allegedly mutilating and killing her five-year-old daughter.

Krystle Villanueva, 24, is charged with capital murder for allegedly stabbing her daughter Giovanna Larae Hernandez to death.

She could face life in prison or the death penalty.

Villanueva is also accused of stabbing her father-in-law, Eustorgio Arellano-Uresti, who tried to stop the attack.

Mr Arellano-Uresti says that at 11am January 5 he went to go make lunch at the home in Kyle, a town located 25 minutes from Austin.

According to KXAN, he saw Villanueva take a knife to her back bedroom then he heard Giovanna crying out in pain.

When the SWAT team arrived, Giovanna Larae Hernandez (left) was dead after being stabbed multiple times and Krystle Villanueva (right) was showering off

Krystle Villanueva's father-in-law said he tried to stop her from killing her five-year-old daughter Giovanna Larae Hernandez (pictured)

Krystle Villanueva ran outside with a shotgun that was unloaded when her father-in-law took away a knife she was using as a weapon

Eustorgio Arellano-Uresti (pictured) said he tried to stop his daughter-in-law from killing five-year-old Giovanna Larae Hernandez

Mr Arellano-Uresti tried to grab the weapon from Villanueva and she attacked him, stabbing him in the forehead and back.

Witnesses then saw Mr Arellano-Uresti leave the home and Villanueva run after him with a shotgun that was not loaded.

Police and the SWAT team were called to the scene and found Villanueva washing off in the shower. Giovanna was dead in a bedroom according to Spectrum News.

Neighbors were shocked that such a horror could happen in the quiet Green Pastures subdivision.

Toxicology reports are still out, but Villanueva's friends said she suffered from drug addiction. They were also in shock that the mother could commit such a crime.

Villanueva (right) is being held on a $1.1 million bond at the Hays County Jail

Krystle Villanueva allegedly suffers from drug addiction but it is not known if she was under the influence at the time when she was charged with killing her daughter

Arellano-Uresti alleged his daughter-in-law used drugs, alcohol and marijuana according to the affidavit. Her sister told officers in 2015 she went to a nearby rehab center for substance abuse.

Villanueva's friend Sabrine Sifuentez told the station: 'She went to a rehab. She did a 90-day program and she came out good. She was doing good. She had a job.

'She tried to get help. I don't know if she just relapsed, or I really can't say what happened.'

On a live Facebook broadcast by KXAN, Sheriff Gary Cutler said: 'This is one of the worst cases I've ever seen.'

Police cordoned off the residence where Giovanna Larae Hernandez was found murdered

Neighbors said the area was fairly quiet and Sheriff Gary Cutler said it was 'one of the worst cases I've ever seen'

Police and a SWAT team were called to the scene where Giovanna Larae Hernandez was killed

Sheriff Gary Cutler said Villanueva had minor run-ins with the law but 'nothing major'

'The suspect has had minor issues with law enforcement in the past, nothing major.'

She is also charged with second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

In one of the 'About Me' sections on one of her Facebook profiles she says: 'The most important things to me in life is family and succeeding in life but especially my daughter Giovanna La'Rae. I'd do anything in the world for this chick.'

Villanueva is being held on a $1.1 million bond at the Hays County Jail. Of the total $800,000 is for capital murder and $300,000 is for aggravated assault.