A 32-year-old mother of four was fatally shot after she mistakenly tried to enter the wrong home in Whitestown Indiana
The victim, Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez, was working as a house cleaner alongside her husband when the incident occurred on November 5, 2025, shortly before 7 a.m.
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| Maria |
According to police, Maria and her husband had arrived at what they believed to be their client’s home for a cleaning job in a suburban neighborhood in Whitestown.
She attempted to open the door using a key, unaware that it was the wrong address, but moments later, a gunshot rang out.
Her brother, Rudy Rios, told NBC News that Maria “fell into the arms of her husband” after being shot in the head. “It’s so unjust,” he said. “She was only trying to bring home the daily bread to support her family. She accidentally went to the wrong house, but he shouldn’t have taken her life.”
Rios also emphasized that Maria wasn’t a threat: “She wasn’t threatening, she had nothing in her hands, only those keys.”
Officers with the Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department (WMPD) responded quickly to reports of a possible home invasion. When they arrived, they found Maria already deceased on the porch while her husband stood beside her.
“The facts gathered do not support that a residential entry occurred,” the WMPD stated in a social media post. “Officers acted quickly to secure the home and attempt life-saving measures, but it was discovered she was already deceased upon arrival.”
Boone County Coroner Justin Sparks confirmed that Maria died from a gunshot wound to the head and officially ruled her death a homicide. However, Sparks clarified that “homicide” as a medical classification “does not necessarily mean the shooter will be criminally charged.”
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| The crime scene |
Authorities have handed the case over to the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office, which will determine whether criminal charges will be filed against the homeowner.
Prosecutor Kent Eastwood described the case as “complex,” citing Indiana’s stand-your-ground law, as per PEOPLE.
Under this law, individuals may use deadly force if they believe they are protecting themselves from serious harm or death. However, in cases like this, determining whether such force was reasonable can be challenging.
Captain John Yurkosh of the WMPD told WTHR News, “We are just trying to unravel what exactly happened and, if applicable, what charges there would be. This is still very fresh.”
Maria’s husband, Mauricio Velazquez, shared his heartbreak in an interview with CBS News, saying through an interpreter, “They should’ve called the police first instead of just shooting out of nowhere like that.”
He described his wife as a hardworking woman who was simply trying to support their family. Maria was originally from Guatemala and was the mother of four children, whose ages range from 1 to 17.
As of now, the shooter’s identity has not been made public, and the case remains under investigation. Police have also urged the public to be patient and avoid spreading misinformation online.
“This is a complex, delicate, and evolving case,” authorities said in a statement. “It would be both inappropriate and potentially dangerous to disclose certain information at this stage.”
For Maria’s family, however, one thing is clear — they want answers and accountability. “She was only trying to work,” her brother said. “She didn’t deserve to die like that.”
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