A house cleaner was shot and killed outside a home after mistakenly showing up at the wrong address for work. Her brother said the mother of four died in her husband’s arms on Wednesday morning.
Maria Florinda Rios Perez, 32, who immigrated from Guatemala, was on her way with her husband to clean a home in Whitestown, Indiana, when they accidentally went to the wrong house.
According to her brother, Rios, the couple had just arrived and were trying to unlock the front door with the keys they’d been given when Maria was shot in the head.
Rios called the tragedy “unjust,” saying his sister was simply trying to make a living to provide for her family.
He acknowledged that she went to the wrong address but said that mistake should never have cost her life.
He added that Maria was unarmed and holding nothing but a set of keys. She leaves behind four children, the youngest only a year old. Rios said their family is “completely devastated.”
Police said officers responded around 6:50 a.m. to a 911 call about a possible break-in at a home in the Heritage subdivision of Whitestown.
When they arrived, they found a woman with a gunshot wound and a man on the front porch. Despite attempts to save her, Maria was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators later determined that the couple were part of a cleaning crew and had mistakenly gone to the wrong home.
The Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department confirmed it was an isolated incident and not a burglary or home invasion.
The police department shared its condolences with everyone affected by what they called a truly heartbreaking situation.
Officials asked the public to hold off on making assumptions while investigators and Boone County prosecutors work to figure out whether a crime was committed.
Police said they understand that incidents like this can spark fear and rumors, but they’re asking people to trust the process and avoid spreading unverified information.
They added that cases like this are usually complicated and can take time to sort out.
Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood said Indiana’s “stand your ground” law gives homeowners fairly strong protections when it comes to defending their property.
He explained that people are allowed to use reasonable force if they believe it’s necessary to stop someone from unlawfully entering their home. The law also makes it clear that they don’t have to retreat.
Rios and his family said they’re hoping for justice and want the person who shot Maria to face charges. He added that he doesn’t want anyone else to go through what his sister did.
Rios also believes his sister’s death comes at a time when hostility toward immigrants, especially Latinos, is increasing/
