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House Cleaner Killed After Going to Wrong Address; Prosecutors Weigh Charges

Nov 11, 2025 | World

November 11, 2025

US officials are reviewing whether to file criminal charges after a homeowner in Whitestown, Indiana, shot and killed a woman who mistakenly arrived at the wrong house.

Police say 32-year-old Maria Florinda Rios Perez, a house cleaner originally from Guatemala and mother of four, was shot on Wednesday morning just before 7:00 a.m. Her husband, Mauricio Velazquez, was with her when she collapsed on the front porch, dying in his arms.

The couple had gone to what they believed was a scheduled cleaning job. According to Velazquez, the homeowner fired through the door without warning.

“They should have called the police first instead of just shooting,” Velazquez told CBS News.

Whitestown Police confirmed that the couple never entered the home, and were responding to a report of a possible home invasion when they arrived. Officers have turned the case over to prosecutors, who will decide whether the homeowner will face criminal charges.

Officials have not released the identity of the person who fired the gun, calling it a “complex, delicate, and evolving case.” Police said misinformation is already spreading online and have urged the public to be patient while the investigation proceeds.

The Boone County Prosecutor’s Office says the situation is complicated by Indiana’s stand-your-ground law, which allows residents to use deadly force if they believe they are preventing serious harm or death.

Similar tragedies have gained national attention in recent years:

  • In 2023, Ralph Yarl, 16, was shot after ringing the wrong doorbell in Missouri.

  • Also in 2023, Kaylin Gillis, 20, was killed after turning into the wrong driveway in New York. The shooter is now serving a 25-year sentence.

For Velazquez, what he wants most is justice.

“She didn’t deserve this,” he said. “We were just there to work.”

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