‘Could’ve Given a Warning’: Indiana Woman Tries to Unlock Door with Keys, Moments Later She’s Shot Dead — Then Came the Excuse That Sparked Outrage
A 32-year-old woman who was on her way to perform cleaning services at an Indiana home was shot to death after arriving at the wrong house. Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez and her husband were scheduled to clean a home in Whitestown, Indiana, on Nov. 5. Indiana woman made a fatal mistake. (Credit: NBC Screengrab) de Velasquez's brother, Rudy Rios, told NBC News that when they arrived, his sister tried using a set of keys to open the door when she was suddenly shot in the head. Rios said the mother of four "fell into the arms of her husband," and died there. Authorities say the homeowner fired from inside the house, and the bullet went through the door and struck de Velasquez. ‘I Don’t Live in the Hood, Brotha’: White Pennsylvania Man Fired from City Job After Calling Black Delivery Driver Racial Slur In Viral Video “It’s so unjust. She was only trying to bring home the daily bread to support her family,” he said. “She accidentally went to the wrong house, but he shouldn’t have taken her life.” The family later discovered that the home that de Velasquez and her husband were hired to clean was located behind the house they mistakenly tried to enter. In a Facebook post, the Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department said they responded to a call for a "'possible' residential entry in progress. Responding officers arrived to find de Velasquez dead on the front porch of the home they were called to. "It was later determined that the individuals attempting to enter the home were members of a cleaning crew who had mistakenly arrived at the wrong address," police said. "This remains an active and ongoing investigation into the fatal shooting. The facts gathered do not support that a residential entry occurred. We want to reassure the community that this appears to be an isolated incident, and there is no known threat to public safety." Police added that they're working closely with the Boone County Prosecutor's Office as the investigation continues. According to a coroner's report, de Velasquez died by homicide, but local prosecutors say that her manner of death doesn't necessarily suggest that criminal intent was involved. Authorities are working to determine whether one of Indiana's self-defense statutes, also known as the "stand your ground" law, applies to this case. "When it comes to a dwelling, individuals can use reasonable force, including deadly force, against another person," Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood said. "They have no duty to retreat, that's in the law. That person who uses that force has to reasonably believe that the force is necessary to prevent or terminate an unlawful entry or attack on the person's dwelling." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Javier Salazar Rojas (@deportedartist) Still, de Velasquez's family wants charges pressed against whoever shot his sister. He noted the racial tensions in the United States and the increased prejudice and profiling against Latinos and immigrants. “She wasn’t threatening, she had nothing in her hands, only those keys,” Rios remarked. “She had no bad intentions. He could have given her a warning, but instead he killed her." No charges have been announced at this time. Rios said that his sister immigrated to the United States from Guatemala three years ago with her husband. The couple began working for a house cleaning company last year, he told the New York Times. She leaves behind four children, ranging from ages 1 to 17.
