Prosecutor says deadly shot through a front door was not reasonable under Indiana self-defense law.
LEBANON, Ind. — An Indiana homeowner was charged Monday with voluntary manslaughter after authorities say he fired a single round through his front door on Nov. 5, killing a house cleaner who had mistakenly come to his Whitestown address for work shortly before 7 a.m.
Prosecutor Kent Eastwood filed the Level 2 felony charge against Curt Andersen, 62, in Boone County Circuit Court, saying the evidence does not support a reasonable belief that deadly force was necessary. The victim, identified as Maria Florinda Ríos Pérez de Velásquez, 32, a Guatemalan immigrant and mother of four, died on the porch. The case arrives amid renewed scrutiny of “stand your ground” and “castle doctrine” defenses. Andersen was booked into the Boone County Jail pending an initial hearing, with a judge expected to set conditions for release and future court dates.
Police were called to the subdivision in Whitestown, a growing town northwest of Indianapolis, after a 911 report of a possible break-in just before sunrise on Nov. 5. Officers found Ríos Pérez de Velásquez on the front porch with a gunshot wound to the head and observed a bullet hole in the home’s front door. Investigators said she and her husband had arrived to clean a residence in the neighborhood and mistakenly approached Andersen’s address with company keys in hand. According to a probable cause affidavit, Andersen fired from inside the house without issuing a verbal warning. His wife told investigators he was upstairs when he pulled the trigger. “This was not a forcible entry,” Eastwood said in announcing the charge. “The law requires reasonableness. The facts here do not meet that standard.”
Authorities identified the victim the next day and notified her family. Ríos Pérez de Velásquez had moved to the Indianapolis area from Guatemala and had been cleaning homes with her husband for about seven months, relatives said. On the morning of the shooting, the couple parked near the address believed to be their client’s home and walked to the porch. Her husband, standing alongside her, told police he did not realize a shot had been fired until she collapsed into his arms. The Boone County Coroner ruled the death a homicide and listed the cause as a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators said they recovered the firearm used in the shooting and collected digital evidence from doorbell cameras in the area. No other injuries were reported.
Andersen told police he believed someone was trying to break in and that he fired to stop what he thought was an unlawful entry. Prosecutors said the physical evidence did not show a forced entry attempt, and that the door remained closed when the shot was fired. Indiana law allows residents to use deadly force to prevent or terminate an unlawful entry if they reasonably believe it is necessary, but Eastwood said the facts did not support that defense in this case. Ríos Pérez de Velásquez’s relatives and supporters held vigils outside the prosecutor’s office last week, calling for charges and urging a thorough review of neighborhood video and officer body-camera footage. Community advocates said the case underscores how routine work can turn dangerous when misunderstandings escalate.
Whitestown police said officers arrived within minutes of the 911 call and secured the scene, canvassing homes for witnesses and video. The department turned its findings over to the prosecutor for review. Court records show Andersen does not have a prior violent criminal history in Boone County. He remained jailed Monday pending his initial appearance. The charging document describes a single round fired from an interior position hitting the victim on the porch. Officials did not immediately release the make and model of the firearm or the number of other weapons in the home. Detectives said they were still interviewing neighbors who heard the shot and reviewing audio picked up by nearby security systems to establish an exact timeline down to the minute.
Ríos Pérez de Velásquez’s death drew comparisons to other recent wrong-address shootings nationally. In those cases, prosecutors have scrutinized whether homeowners reasonably perceived an imminent threat before firing. Whitestown, a suburb experiencing rapid growth, has seen an influx of new housing developments where similar model homes line curved streets, a layout that can make addresses easy to confuse. Workers in the trades and services often rely on texted instructions and company keys, family members said. Advocacy groups noted that language barriers and early-morning schedules can add to confusion at the doorstep. Local leaders emphasized that the investigation’s focus is on the specific facts at this house on this date.
With the filing of the Level 2 felony, the case moves to initial hearing and arraignment, where a judge will advise Andersen of the charge and potential penalties — 10 to 30 years in prison — and consider bail. Prosecutors said additional counts are not anticipated at this time, but they left open the possibility of amendments if new evidence emerges. A probable cause hearing and the setting of a pretrial schedule are expected in the coming days. If the case proceeds, discovery would include forensic reports, doorbell and body-camera footage, and statements from witnesses and first responders. No trial date has been set. The prosecutor’s office said it would notify the victim’s family of any court appearances.
Outside the Boone County courthouse, mourners placed flowers and candles bearing the victim’s name. Friends described Ríos Pérez de Velásquez as a steady worker who sent money home and juggled school schedules for four children. “She was kind and careful. She was just doing her job,” said family friend Ana López. At a weekend vigil, her husband, Mauricio Velásquez, spoke briefly in Spanish, thanking neighbors who have supported the family. “We want the truth to be known,” he said. A neighborhood resident said the sound of a single, sharp report cut through the quiet shortly after dawn. “It was one shot, then sirens,” the neighbor said. “We all came outside and saw police everywhere.”
As of Monday evening, Andersen remained in custody pending his initial appearance, and prosecutors said they would release additional filings when the court schedules the first hearing. Investigators were continuing to process digital evidence and finalize reports. The next expected milestone is a first-court appearance in Boone County this week, when a judge will consider bond and set a preliminary timeline.
Author note: Last updated November 17, 2025.