Man Charged in Killing of Woman Who Went to Wrong Door
In this image from video provided by WRTV, the husband of Maria Florinda Rios Perez, Mauricio Velasquez, speaks during an interview in Indianapolis on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2025. (WRTV via AP)
An Indiana homeowner has been charged with voluntary manslaughter after allegedly shooting and killing a house cleaner who mistakenly arrived at the wrong address—an incident now raising new questions about how far stand-your-ground protections can legally go.
Prosecutors announced Monday that Curt Anderson faces a potential sentence of 10 to 30 years in prison, along with a possible $10,000 fine, according to the AP. Officers responding to the scene on Nov. 5 found 32-year-old Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez lying dead on the front porch of a home in Whitestown, a suburb of Indianapolis. Authorities say she was part of a cleaning crew that accidentally went to the wrong residence.
Her husband, who was standing beside her on the porch, told reporters he heard a shot fired through the front door. He didn’t realize she had been struck until she collapsed into his arms.
Indiana is among 31 states with stand-your-ground laws allowing homeowners to use deadly force if they reasonably believe someone is trying to unlawfully enter their home. However, police say there is no indication that Rios attempted to go inside before she was shot.
The case draws comparisons to other mistaken-address shootings nationwide. In Missouri in 2023, 16-year-old Ralph Yarl was shot by an 86-year-old homeowner after arriving at the wrong house; despite Missouri’s similar law, prosecutors charged the shooter, Andrew Lester, who later pleaded guilty to second-degree assault before his death. And in New York—where no stand-your-ground statute exists—a homeowner was convicted of second-degree murder in 2024 after fatally shooting a woman who mistakenly pulled into his driveway.
Indiana University law professor Jody Madeira, who specializes in gun rights, called the Rios case “horrible” and “exceptionally unusual.” She explained that for a shooter to receive stand-your-ground immunity, they must show they believed they were in immediate danger—and that a reasonable person would have felt the same. In general, she noted, members of the public can legally approach a porch for legitimate reasons unless ordered to leave. A homeowner, she said, cannot simply shoot a delivery driver or service worker for stepping onto the property.
Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood said Monday that self-defense protections do not apply in this situation, according to NBC News. “It is vitally important for the citizens of Boone County to understand that our decision today in no way should be interpreted as a challenge to Indiana’s stand-your-ground law or a person’s right to self-defense,” he said.
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