HOARDER OF HORROR: Indiana Man, 62, Charged with Manslaughter After Fatally Shooting Unarmed Mum-of-Four Who Mistakenly Arrived at His Door for Cleaning Job – But Will ‘Stand-Your-Ground’ Law Save Him?
- Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez, 32, was shot dead on a front porch in Whitestown, Indiana, after accidentally arriving at the wrong address for a cleaning job
- Curt Andersen, 62, faces 10 to 30 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted of voluntary manslaughter, despite claiming he acted in self-defence under the state’s ‘stand-your-ground’ law
- Prosecutors argue Andersen had no reason to believe his life was in danger, as Rios never entered the home and was simply trying to unlock the door with her cleaning company’s keys
A heart-wrenching tragedy has unfolded in Indiana, where a mum-of-four was gunned down on a front porch after mistakenly arriving at the wrong address for a cleaning job. Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez, 32, was shot dead by Curt Andersen, 62, who claims he acted in self-defence under the state’s ‘stand-your-ground’ law.
But prosecutors are adamant that Andersen’s actions were unjustified, and he now faces 10 to 30 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted of voluntary manslaughter. The case has sparked outrage and raised questions about the limits of the ‘stand-your-ground’ law, which permits homeowners to use deadly force to stop someone they believe is trying to unlawfully enter their dwelling.
According to investigators, Rios and her husband, Mauricio Velasquez, arrived at Andersen’s home in Whitestown, Indiana, just before 7 am on November 5. Unbeknownst to them, they were at the wrong address, and Rios tried to unlock the door with her cleaning company’s keys. Andersen, who was asleep upstairs with his wife, Yoshie, was awoken by the ‘commotion at the door’ and grabbed his handgun.
In a probable cause statement, Andersen claimed he saw two people ‘thrusting’ at the door and getting more aggressive, and he fired one shot toward the door without warning. However, prosecutors argue that there was no evidence of forcible entry, and Rios never entered the home. In fact, the door never even opened, and Andersen didn’t announce himself or say anything before pulling the trigger.
Rios’ husband told investigators that he was with his wife on the porch and didn’t realize she had been shot until she fell back into his arms, bleeding. The couple’s four children have been left without a mother, and a fundraising page has been set up to support the family.
Andersen’s attorney, Guy Relford, has expressed disappointment at the charges, claiming his client had every reason to believe his actions were justified under the ‘stand-your-ground’ law. However, prosecutors are confident that they can prove Andersen couldn’t have reasonably believed he needed to use deadly force, given what he knew at the time.
Indiana University law professor Jody Madeira has weighed in on the case, saying that the allegations in the probable cause statement show Andersen was acting out of fear, but that’s not enough to invoke the ‘stand-your-ground’ law. ‘The reasonable person says, “hey, I have my phone here, I have other options, I can shout a warning. It’s 7 am, is someone really breaking into my house?”‘ Madeira said.
The case has drawn comparisons to similar episodes in Missouri and New York, where homeowners have been charged with crimes after shooting individuals who mistakenly arrived at their doors. As the trial approaches, the nation will be watching to see whether Andersen’s ‘stand-your-ground’ defence will hold up in court.