Topline: Authorities say Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez was part of a cleaning crew that accidentally went to the wrong home before she was fatally shot.
Published: November 8, 2025 3:00 pm ET
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Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez (via Sprowl Funeral & Cremation Care)
WHITESTOWN, IN — A tragic mistake in a quiet Whitestown subdivision has left a young mother dead and a community searching for answers.
Police say 32-year-old Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez, of Indianapolis, was fatally shot Wednesday morning after she and her husband mistakenly went to the wrong address while on a cleaning job.
According to the Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the home shortly before 7 a.m. on November 5 after a report of a possible home invasion. Responding officers found Velasquez on the front porch with a gunshot wound to the head. Emergency crews tried to save her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Police later confirmed the gun had been fired from inside the home.
Captain John Jurkash, a department spokesperson, told reporters that detectives quickly determined “the individuals attempting to enter the home were members of a cleaning crew who had mistakenly arrived at the wrong address,” adding that “the facts gathered do not support that a home invasion occurred.”
Velasquez’s husband, Mauricio Velasquez, told WRTV that he had been cleaning houses with his wife for seven months and was with her that morning.
“I never thought it was a shot,” he said in Spanish. “But I realized when my wife took two steps back, she looked like she’d been hit in the head. She fell into my arms, and I saw the blood. It went everywhere.” The couple shared four children, the youngest just 11 months old.
“What I need now is for there to be justice, because he took her life,” Velasquez said. “I don’t believe that’s human.”
The Boone County Coroner’s Office identified the victim Thursday and ruled her death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the head.
Coroner Justin Sparks emphasized, however, that “homicide” in this context is a medical classification, not a criminal judgment. “It has no impact. It is a classification of manner of death,” Sparks told WRTV. “No implication in the criminal realm.”
Police say the homeowner fired through a closed door, and that the door was never opened. A bullet hole remains visible in the front door, according to WRTV.
Residents in the Heritage subdivision expressed disbelief.
“It’s a little scary, but you know, you got to know the whole story,” said Whitestown resident Bev Selky. Another neighbor, Stephanie Spencer, told the station, “It shouldn’t have happened. Don’t shoot first, ask questions later. Answer the door, see who they are. Don’t just take it upon yourself to shoot some innocent person.”
The shooting has also raised questions about Indiana’s “stand your ground” law. Jody Madeira, a professor at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law, told WRTV that “shooting blindly through a closed door often triggers a prosecution unless the evidence strongly supports statutory justifications,” adding that prosecutors will have to determine whether the act qualifies as defending against an unlawful entry or an attack.
The Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department said Friday that its initial investigation is complete and has been formally submitted to the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office for review. Prosecutor Kent Eastwood told ABC News his office hopes to decide within a week or two whether charges will be filed.
Police have not released the homeowner’s name, citing what they called a “complex, delicate, and evolving” case. “It would be both inappropriate and potentially dangerous to disclose that information,” the department said in a statement.
Officials also pushed back against a wave of online misinformation.
“We are aware of false and misleading information circulating on social media, suggesting that a local police officer resides at the home where the incident occurred,” the department said. “We want to unequivocally state that these claims are entirely false. No officer—whether currently serving, retired, resigned, terminated, or otherwise affiliated with the Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department or any other police department—resides at or has any personal connection to the location of the incident.”
Police said those false claims pose “a serious safety risk to uninvolved officers and their families” and urged the public to stop sharing them.
The department thanked the community for its patience and said it remains committed to transparency as the case moves forward.
“This is a complex, delicate, and evolving case,” the statement read. “We ask the public to exercise patience and allow the investigative process to conclude. The safety and privacy of all individuals involved must remain a priority.”
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Mother of Four Killed After Going to Wrong House for Cleaning Job
Authorities say Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez was part of a cleaning crew that accidentally went to the wrong home before she was fatally shot.
By Jacob Charles
Published: November 8, 2025 3:00 pm ET
Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez (via Sprowl Funeral & Cremation Care)
WHITESTOWN, IN — A tragic mistake in a quiet Whitestown subdivision has left a young mother dead and a community searching for answers.
Police say 32-year-old Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez, of Indianapolis, was fatally shot Wednesday morning after she and her husband mistakenly went to the wrong address while on a cleaning job.
According to the Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the home shortly before 7 a.m. on November 5 after a report of a possible home invasion. Responding officers found Velasquez on the front porch with a gunshot wound to the head. Emergency crews tried to save her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Police later confirmed the gun had been fired from inside the home.
Captain John Jurkash, a department spokesperson, told reporters that detectives quickly determined “the individuals attempting to enter the home were members of a cleaning crew who had mistakenly arrived at the wrong address,” adding that “the facts gathered do not support that a home invasion occurred.”
Velasquez’s husband, Mauricio Velasquez, told WRTV that he had been cleaning houses with his wife for seven months and was with her that morning.
“I never thought it was a shot,” he said in Spanish. “But I realized when my wife took two steps back, she looked like she’d been hit in the head. She fell into my arms, and I saw the blood. It went everywhere.” The couple shared four children, the youngest just 11 months old.
“What I need now is for there to be justice, because he took her life,” Velasquez said. “I don’t believe that’s human.”
The Boone County Coroner’s Office identified the victim Thursday and ruled her death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the head.
Coroner Justin Sparks emphasized, however, that “homicide” in this context is a medical classification, not a criminal judgment. “It has no impact. It is a classification of manner of death,” Sparks told WRTV. “No implication in the criminal realm.”
Police say the homeowner fired through a closed door, and that the door was never opened. A bullet hole remains visible in the front door, according to WRTV.
Residents in the Heritage subdivision expressed disbelief.
“It’s a little scary, but you know, you got to know the whole story,” said Whitestown resident Bev Selky. Another neighbor, Stephanie Spencer, told the station, “It shouldn’t have happened. Don’t shoot first, ask questions later. Answer the door, see who they are. Don’t just take it upon yourself to shoot some innocent person.”
The shooting has also raised questions about Indiana’s “stand your ground” law. Jody Madeira, a professor at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law, told WRTV that “shooting blindly through a closed door often triggers a prosecution unless the evidence strongly supports statutory justifications,” adding that prosecutors will have to determine whether the act qualifies as defending against an unlawful entry or an attack.
The Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department said Friday that its initial investigation is complete and has been formally submitted to the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office for review. Prosecutor Kent Eastwood told ABC News his office hopes to decide within a week or two whether charges will be filed.
Police have not released the homeowner’s name, citing what they called a “complex, delicate, and evolving” case. “It would be both inappropriate and potentially dangerous to disclose that information,” the department said in a statement.
Officials also pushed back against a wave of online misinformation.
“We are aware of false and misleading information circulating on social media, suggesting that a local police officer resides at the home where the incident occurred,” the department said. “We want to unequivocally state that these claims are entirely false. No officer—whether currently serving, retired, resigned, terminated, or otherwise affiliated with the Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department or any other police department—resides at or has any personal connection to the location of the incident.”
Police said those false claims pose “a serious safety risk to uninvolved officers and their families” and urged the public to stop sharing them.
The department thanked the community for its patience and said it remains committed to transparency as the case moves forward.
“This is a complex, delicate, and evolving case,” the statement read. “We ask the public to exercise patience and allow the investigative process to conclude. The safety and privacy of all individuals involved must remain a priority.”
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Mother of Four Killed After Going to Wrong House for Cleaning Job
Authorities say Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez was part of a cleaning crew that accidentally went to the wrong home before she was fatally shot.
By Jacob Charles
Published: November 8, 2025 3:00 pm ET
Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez (via Sprowl Funeral & Cremation Care)
WHITESTOWN, IN — A tragic mistake in a quiet Whitestown subdivision has left a young mother dead and a community searching for answers.
Police say 32-year-old Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez, of Indianapolis, was fatally shot Wednesday morning after she and her husband mistakenly went to the wrong address while on a cleaning job.
According to the Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the home shortly before 7 a.m. on November 5 after a report of a possible home invasion. Responding officers found Velasquez on the front porch with a gunshot wound to the head. Emergency crews tried to save her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Police later confirmed the gun had been fired from inside the home.
Captain John Jurkash, a department spokesperson, told reporters that detectives quickly determined “the individuals attempting to enter the home were members of a cleaning crew who had mistakenly arrived at the wrong address,” adding that “the facts gathered do not support that a home invasion occurred.”
Velasquez’s husband, Mauricio Velasquez, told WRTV that he had been cleaning houses with his wife for seven months and was with her that morning.
“I never thought it was a shot,” he said in Spanish. “But I realized when my wife took two steps back, she looked like she’d been hit in the head. She fell into my arms, and I saw the blood. It went everywhere.” The couple shared four children, the youngest just 11 months old.
“What I need now is for there to be justice, because he took her life,” Velasquez said. “I don’t believe that’s human.”
The Boone County Coroner’s Office identified the victim Thursday and ruled her death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the head.
Coroner Justin Sparks emphasized, however, that “homicide” in this context is a medical classification, not a criminal judgment. “It has no impact. It is a classification of manner of death,” Sparks told WRTV. “No implication in the criminal realm.”
Police say the homeowner fired through a closed door, and that the door was never opened. A bullet hole remains visible in the front door, according to WRTV.
Residents in the Heritage subdivision expressed disbelief.
“It’s a little scary, but you know, you got to know the whole story,” said Whitestown resident Bev Selky. Another neighbor, Stephanie Spencer, told the station, “It shouldn’t have happened. Don’t shoot first, ask questions later. Answer the door, see who they are. Don’t just take it upon yourself to shoot some innocent person.”
The shooting has also raised questions about Indiana’s “stand your ground” law. Jody Madeira, a professor at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law, told WRTV that “shooting blindly through a closed door often triggers a prosecution unless the evidence strongly supports statutory justifications,” adding that prosecutors will have to determine whether the act qualifies as defending against an unlawful entry or an attack.
The Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department said Friday that its initial investigation is complete and has been formally submitted to the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office for review. Prosecutor Kent Eastwood told ABC News his office hopes to decide within a week or two whether charges will be filed.
Police have not released the homeowner’s name, citing what they called a “complex, delicate, and evolving” case. “It would be both inappropriate and potentially dangerous to disclose that information,” the department said in a statement.
Officials also pushed back against a wave of online misinformation.
“We are aware of false and misleading information circulating on social media, suggesting that a local police officer resides at the home where the incident occurred,” the department said. “We want to unequivocally state that these claims are entirely false. No officer—whether currently serving, retired, resigned, terminated, or otherwise affiliated with the Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department or any other police department—resides at or has any personal connection to the location of the incident.”
Police said those false claims pose “a serious safety risk to uninvolved officers and their families” and urged the public to stop sharing them.
The department thanked the community for its patience and said it remains committed to transparency as the case moves forward.
“This is a complex, delicate, and evolving case,” the statement read. “We ask the public to exercise patience and allow the investigative process to conclude. The safety and privacy of all individuals involved must remain a priority.”
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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