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House Cleaner Killed After Wrong-Address Shooting in Indiana

Prosecutors are reviewing the case under Indiana’s self-defense law and expect to announce whether charges will be filed next week.

Overview

  • Police say the fatal shot was fired from inside through a closed front door, a bullet hole was visible, and the facts do not support that a residential entry occurred.
  • The victim was identified as 32-year-old Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez, and the coroner ruled her death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the head.
  • Investigators recovered a firearm and interviewed multiple occupants of the home, but the shooter has not been publicly identified or arrested.
  • Her husband, who was on the porch and says he held her after the shooting, described the couple as a cleaning crew that went to the wrong address, and the family is seeking community support for funeral costs.
  • Officials cite Indiana’s castle doctrine allowing deadly force when reasonably necessary, and legal experts say firing through a closed door presents difficult questions; the homeowner has retained attorney Guy Relford.