A CLEANER was shot dead by a homeowner after mistakenly showing up at the wrong address.
Mum-of-four Maria Florinda Rios Perez was found dead in her distraught husband’s arms on the front porch of a home in Indiana on Wednesday, cops said.
The 32-year-old was gunned down before she even tried putting the key into the door just before 7am.
Police said they were responding to a call about a possibly home invasion in the suburb of Whitestown.
They said Maria and her husband, Mauricio Velázquez, did not appear to have entered the home – ruling out a burglary.
Speaking through a translator, Velázquez said he and his wife – who are self-employed cleaners – drove around the block and checked twice to make sure they had the correct address.
Outside the front door of the home, Velázquez was fumbling with the keys when Perez grabbed them.
He told Indy Star: “She didn’t even put the key in when I heard the shot happen.
“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.”
The identity of the shooter has not be released – and cops have sent the case to the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office to decide whether criminal charges will be brought.
Police said it is a “complex, delicate, and evolving case, and it would be both inappropriate and potentially dangerous to disclose that information”.
They warned of a “concerning spread of misinformation online” about the case.
Velazquez told CBS affiliate WTTV he wanted justice for his wife, who was originally from Guatemala.
He said the bullet came right through the door, adding: “They should’ve called the police first instead of just shooting out of nowhere like that.”
The family had only been in Indianapolis for a year.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support Maria’s family and funeral costs.
She was described as “a hardworking woman who only wanted to take care of her family” and “a gentle soul taken too soon”.
The page said: “Maria Florinda Rios Perez was known by all who met her as a beacon of kindness, humility, and strength.
“She worked tirelessly to support her loved ones, often taking extra jobs to provide a better life for her children.
“Friends and coworkers remember her infectious smile, her laughter, and the way she always made time to help others — even when life was hard.
“Her heart was as big as her dreams for her family.”
On Wednesday, just hours after the shooting, more than 30 people visited Velazquez’s home as he sat with his three daughters, 17-year-old Sayda, 10-year-old Gricelda, 8-year-old Greysi, and his son Yonathan, who is about to turn 1.
He told the Indy Star: “Just pray for my family. Raising them isn’t going to be easy.”
“She was the love of my life. She was a good wife and a good mother.”
Velazquez said Maria’s body will be taken back to Guatemala.
Police in Whitestown said they are “committed to conducting a thorough and impartial investigation“.
The department added: “The loss of life is always a profound tragedy, and our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected.
“Our detectives are interviewing all individuals involved, and our Crime Scene Investigators are meticulously collecting and analysing all relevant evidence to understand the full scope of what occurred.”
Stand-your-ground laws
STAND-YOUR-GROUND laws in the US expand the traditional right to self-defence.
They remove the duty to retreat before using force, including deadly force, when a person reasonably believes it necessary to prevent imminent death, serious injury, or certain violent crimes.
Unlike the narrower “castle doctrine,” which applies in one’s home, stand-your-ground typically applies in any place a person lawfully occupies.
Since Florida enacted the first modern statute in 2005, more than half of US states have adopted similar laws – though details vary on immunity from arrest, prosecution, or civil liability.
Supporters argue these laws deter crime, protect innocent people caught in sudden confrontations, and reflect a moral right not to flee.
But critics say the law escalates violence and complicates policing – and some studies associate stand-your-ground with increased homicides and no clear reduction in violent crime.
High-profile cases include the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida – highlighting ambiguities around “reasonable belief” and who initiated force.
