Indiana Homeowner Charged After Fatally Shooting Cleaning Woman Who Went to Wrong House

An Indiana man has been charged with voluntary manslaughter after shooting and killing a cleaning woman who mistakenly tried to enter the wrong home, prosecutors confirmed Monday.

The homeowner, 62-year-old Curt Douglas Andersen of Whitestown, was booked into the Boone County Jail with no bond and is expected to appear in court later this week. The victim, 32-year-old Maria Florinda Ríos Pérez de Velasquez, a mother of four, was working with her husband when the deadly shooting happened on the morning of November 5.

According to investigators, Maria attempted to unlock the house using keys from their cleaning job, unaware they were at the wrong address. Prosecutors say there is no evidence she ever entered the home, and Andersen fired through a closed front door without giving any verbal warning.

Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood said a full review determined that Andersen’s actions did not qualify for protection under Indiana’s Stand Your Ground or Castle Doctrine laws, which allow deadly force only when someone is unlawfully and forcibly entering a home.

Eastwood said Andersen’s belief that deadly force was necessary was not reasonable based on the facts he had at the time: Maria and her husband tried the door for less than a minute.They never forced entry, knocked, shouted, or used any violence.Police found only a bullet hole in the door and Maria fatally injured on the porch.The coroner reported she died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Maria’s husband told police he never heard any warning from inside before the single shot was fired. He said his wife stepped back and collapsed into his arms.

The couple had been cleaning homes for seven months and shared four children, the youngest just 11 months old.

Andersen’s attorney—a Second Amendment specialist—criticized the charges, insisting the homeowner believed he was stopping a break-in. They argue his actions should be judged based on what he perceived in the moment, not by hindsight.

Legal experts note that simply rattling a door or inserting a key does not meet the threshold of an unlawful, forceful entry. They stressed that front porches remain accessible areas for workers, delivery drivers, and visitors unless explicitly restricted.

Maria’s family, represented by attorney Alex Limontes, said the charge is a necessary step toward justice.

“She never even entered the house,” Limontes said. “She was shot through a closed door. Her family deserves the truth and accountability.”