WHITESTOWN, INDIANA - Maria Florinda Ríos Pérez, a 32-year-old mother of four, was fatally shot in Whitestown, Indiana, after she and her husband mistakenly arrived at the wrong home for a cleaning job early Wednesday morning.
Her grieving husband, Mauricio Velázquez, who witnessed the shooting, is demanding justice for her death.
Pérez was fatally shot just before 7 a.m. after she and her husband arrived at a Whitestown home, where they believed they were scheduled to clean. The self-employed couple, who had only lived in the Indianapolis area for a year after moving from Guatemala, reportedly checked the address twice and circled the neighborhood to confirm they were at the correct location.
Husband Recounts Tragic Moments
The couple was attempting to use the provided keys on the front door of the house when the shot rang out. Velázquez said Pérez had just taken the keys from him when a gunshot rang out.
"She didn’t even put the key in when I heard the shot happen," Velázquez told media outlets. "I saw my wife had stepped back twice, and then the keys dropped... Then she dropped, and I went to catch her. I was trying to console her and tell her everything was going to be OK, but I was seeing the blood coming out."
Police arrived after a 911 call reported a potential home invasion at the address. Pérez was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police Rule Out Break-in; Focus on "Stand Your Ground" Laws
Whitestown Metropolitan Police later confirmed that the couple was not attempting to break into the home, stating, "The facts gathered do not support that a residential entry occurred." Police confirmed the couple genuinely believed they were entering a house they were hired to clean.
No arrests have been made as the investigation continues. The case is raising questions regarding Indiana’s "stand your ground" laws, which permit homeowners to use deadly force if they reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent or terminate an unlawful entry or attack on their dwelling, without a duty to retreat.
Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood noted that the person using force must reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent an unlawful entry.
Pérez leaves behind her husband and four children: three daughters ages 17, 10, and 8, and an almost 1-year-old son. Velázquez is now arranging to return his wife’s body to their hometown in Guatemala. “For me,” he said, “she was the love of my life.”
The investigation remains ongoing, and no charges have been filed as of press time.
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