US prosecutors have charged an Indiana homeowner in the fatal shooting of a cleaner who mistakenly arrived at his house. Curt Andersen is facing a voluntary manslaughter charge for the death of Maria Florinda Rios Perez, a mother of four who died on the fifth of November after she and her husband went to the wrong address. Her husband said Andersen fired through the door without calling police, turning a simple mistake into a deadly encounter. Officials said the investigation took time because of questions surrounding the state’s stand your ground law, which removes the duty to retreat before using deadly force when an individual feels threatened. After reviewing the evidence, prosecutors concluded that the law did not give Andersen legal protection for his actions.
Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood stated that Andersen did not have sufficient information to reasonably believe he was under threat. Eastwood explained during a news conference that the evidence showed Andersen’s decision to fire did not align with the conditions required for protection under Indiana law. Police had responded to reports of a possible home invasion early that morning in Whitestown, a suburban community near Indianapolis. When officers arrived, they found Mrs Perez dead in her husband’s arms on the porch shortly before seven in the morning. Investigators said the cleaning crew had not entered the home, and the tragedy occurred entirely outside the property.
Mrs Perez leaves behind four children, the youngest of whom is nearing a first birthday. Her husband is now working to return her body to Guatemala for burial. The case has drawn attention to other incidents across the United States in which people have been shot after mistakenly approaching the wrong home or driveway. These include the death of Kaylin Gillis in New York and the shooting of teenager Ralph Yarl in Missouri, events that have fueled ongoing debate about the responsibilities of homeowners and the reach of stand your ground laws.
