Maria Florinda Rios Perez, a 32-year-old cleaning woman and mother of four, was fatally shot after mistakenly arriving at the wrong home in Whitestown, Indiana, for a cleaning appointment. The incident has prompted a legal review under Indiana’s stand-your-ground law, with her family calling for justice and the shooter to face charges.
On the morning of Wednesday, November 5, 2025, Rios Perez and her husband Mauricio Velásquez approached a house in the Heritage subdivision, believing it was their scheduled cleaning location. Instead, a single gunshot was fired through the front door, striking Rios Perez and killing her instantly on the porch. Her husband witnessed the tragedy, holding her lifeless body and describing the moment as having ‘everything torn from me’ in an emotional interview.
Whitestown police responded to a 911 call reporting a possible home invasion at the residence. Officers found Rios Perez dead and attempted lifesaving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Further investigation revealed that the couple had arrived at the incorrect address for a legitimate cleaning job, with no evidence of criminal intent or entry into the home, dispelling initial fears of a burglary.
The family is grappling with profound grief, emphasizing Rios Perez’s role as a devoted mother to her four children, aged 17 to just 11 months. Velásquez, surrounded by their children at a memorial, tearfully demanded accountability, stating that the shooter should have called police instead of resorting to lethal force. Relatives described her as a loving, humble immigrant from Guatemala who worked tirelessly to support her family.
Indiana’s stand-your-ground law allows individuals to use reasonable force, including deadly force, to defend their dwellings against perceived threats. Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood is reviewing the case to determine if criminal charges are appropriate, noting the complexity of applying the law’s language to the specific facts, such as whether the homeowner’s actions constituted reasonable self-defense.
This incident echoes other high-profile cases in the U.S., including the 2023 shooting of Ralph Yarl in Missouri after he rang the wrong doorbell and the death of Kaylin Gillis in New York for entering the wrong driveway. These tragedies have fueled ongoing debates about the balance between self-defense rights and the risk of disproportionate responses in non-threatening situations.
Police have formally submitted the case to the prosecutor’s office and urged public patience, warning against the spread of misinformation online. The Boone County Coroner’s Office classified the death as a homicide, a medical term indicating one person caused another’s death without implying criminal intent, leaving the legal determination to the prosecutor’s review.
As the investigation continues, the family awaits the prosecutor’s decision, which could set a precedent for how stand-your-ground laws are interpreted in similar contexts. The outcome may influence broader discussions on preventing such incidents through clearer guidelines or community education on de-escalation and verification before using force.
