A house cleaner, Maria Florinda Ríos Pérez, has been shot dead in the United States of America after she entered the wrong address to clean the house.
Perez, 32, an Indiana mother of four, went to the job address with her husband, Mauricio Velázquez, and spent some time ascertaining it was the correct address.
Velazquez said they arrived at the location in Whitestown, a small suburb near Indianapolis, just before 7 am.
He said they circled the neighbourhood twice to ensure they were in the right place before the wife took the keys provided by the client and approached the beautiful mansion’s door.
Velázquez said his wife had not even inserted the key into the door lock when she was shot.
He recalled hearing the shot and seeing his wife staggering backwards twice before dropping the keys and falling.
The bereaved husband said he rushed to catch his wife and tried to console her that all would be well. He said he was alarmed to see blood gushing out.
Someone had apparently called the police to report a home invasion before firing the shot, because the police dispatched to respond to the 911 call arrived shortly and found the couple on the porch.
They attempted to give Pérez CPR, but it was too late. Maria Florinda Ríos Pérez died at the scene.
The police were convinced the couple were not trying to break into the house. A spokesperson for the Whitestown police said the facts gathered did not support that a residential entry occurred.
However, the police were not eager to book the homeowner because of Indiana’s robust “Stand your ground” laws, which allow homeowners to use fatal force to protect their property.
Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood said individuals were covered once they reasonably believed that the force was necessary to prevent or terminate an unlawful entry or attack.
The bereaved husband has, however, continued to press for justice for his wife. She had only moved to Indianapolis from Guatemala for under a year.
He described his late wife as the love of his life, a good wife and a good mother.
The deceased is survived by her husband, four children, including a son who is not yet one year old.
Velázquez is making arrangements to take his wife’s body back to her hometown in Guatemala.
Police are investigating the case, but have not made any arrests.
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