Authorities in Boone County, Indiana, have charged a local homeowner with felony voluntary manslaughter after he allegedly shot and killed a woman who mistakenly arrived at his house for a cleaning job.
The victim, 32-year-old Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez, was fatally wounded on the front porch after being struck by a bullet fired through the door.
Prosecutors on Monday announced the charge against Curt Andersen, saying the evidence did not support a claim of self-defense under Indiana’s stand-your-ground statute. Voluntary manslaughter under state law applies when someone “knowingly or intentionally” kills another person while under “sudden heat,” a factor that differentiates the crime from murder.
Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood emphasized that his office examined the case with deliberate care. “As prosecutors, we have a solemn responsibility,” he said. “We cannot allow emotion to guide our decisions. Our duty is to examine the facts, apply the law fairly and equally, and ensure that justice is served without bias and influence. That is the only way the law can truly be just.”
Police were called to Andersen’s home in the 4200 block of Maize Lane at about 6:50 a.m. on Nov. 5 after a report of a “possible residential entry in progress.” Officers found Perez lying on the porch with a gunshot wound to the head.
Her husband, who had driven with her to what they believed was a client’s residence, was holding her when authorities arrived.
Investigators later learned the couple were part of a cleaning team that mistakenly went to the wrong address. Police noted a single bullet hole in the door, and court records obtained by WTHR described Perez lying in a “large pool of blood.”
Perez’s husband told WTTV that neither of them tried to enter the home before the shooting. “They should’ve called the police first instead of just shooting out of nowhere like that,” he said through an interpreter.
Speaking to WRTV, he described the moment his wife collapsed: “I never thought it was a shot, but I realized when my wife took two steps back. She looked like she’d been hit in the head. She fell into my arms, and I saw that the blood went everywhere.”
Perez leaves behind four children, the youngest just 11 months old.
Andersen has reportedly cited Indiana’s stand-your-ground law in his defense. Prosecutors said the evidence gathered so far shows no legal basis for that claim, noting Andersen did not announce himself or attempt to open the door before firing. He later told investigators he discharged the weapon from the top of his stairs.
“It is vitally important for the citizens of Boone County to understand that our decision today in no way should be interpreted as a challenge to Indiana’s stand your ground law, a person’s right to self-defense,” Eastwood said.
Law professor Jody Madeira of Indiana University called the situation “horrible” and “exceptionally unusual,” telling The Associated Press that the facts stand out even among controversial self-defense cases.
A court appearance date for Andersen had not been released at the time of reporting.
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