Boone County prosecutors have charged 62-year-old Curt Andersen with manslaughter after he allegedly shot 32-year-old house cleaner Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez through his front door on Nov. 5 in Whitestown. Investigators say Velasquez, a Guatemalan immigrant and mother of four, arrived with a cleaning crew at the wrong address and was found dead on the porch; officials found a bullet hole but no sign of forced entry. Andersen told police he believed someone was trying to break in and fired one shot; his attorney cites Indiana’s stand-your-ground law, but prosecutors say Andersen lacked sufficient grounds to reasonably believe deadly force was necessary.
Whitestown Man Charged with Manslaughter After Shooting House Cleaner Who Knocked on Wrong Door
Boone County prosecutors have charged 62-year-old Curt Andersen with manslaughter after he allegedly shot 32-year-old house cleaner Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez through his front door on Nov. 5 in Whitestown. Investigators say Velasquez, a Guatemalan immigrant and mother of four, arrived with a cleaning crew at the wrong address and was found dead on the porch; officials found a bullet hole but no sign of forced entry. Andersen told police he believed someone was trying to break in and fired one shot; his attorney cites Indiana’s stand-your-ground law, but prosecutors say Andersen lacked sufficient grounds to reasonably believe deadly force was necessary.
08:20 PM, 11/18/2025Society
Indiana man charged after fatal shooting of house cleaner
A Boone County prosecutor has charged 62-year-old Curt Andersen with manslaughter after police say he shot a house cleaner through his front door in Whitestown, a suburb of Indianapolis.
Authorities allege that shortly before 7 a.m. on Nov. 5, Andersen fired a single shot through the front door of his home, striking 32-year-old Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez. Officers found Velasquez, a Guatemalan immigrant and mother of four, dead on the porch, according to a probable cause affidavit. Investigators reported a bullet hole in the door but found no signs of forced entry to the door, latch or frame.
Andersen told investigators that he and his wife were asleep when he heard a “commotion” at the front door that grew louder. He said he looked out a window, saw two people at the door and returned with a handgun, believing someone might be attempting to break in. Andersen said he saw the people "thrusting" at the door, did not announce himself, and fired one shot; he also said the door was never opened.
“When told he had killed someone, Andersen put his head down and said he didn't mean for anything to happen to anybody,” the affidavit states.
Yoshie Andersen, his wife, told investigators that her husband fired from the top of the stairs and that neither of them went downstairs; she said he then told her to call 911. Velasquez's husband, Mauricio, told police that he and other members of the cleaning crew tried company keys for about 30 seconds to a minute to open the door. He said they did not knock or force entry and heard no voices from inside; he did not realize she had been shot until she fell back into his arms.
Prosecutors say Andersen could face 10 to 30 years in prison if convicted. Andersen remains held at the Boone County Jail pending an initial court appearance. His attorney, Guy Relford, said on X that he was disappointed by the charges and argued Andersen believed his actions were justified under Indiana's stand-your-ground law. Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood countered that the case does not qualify for stand-your-ground protection because prosecutors believe Andersen lacked sufficient information to reasonably conclude deadly force was necessary.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.