Guatemalan Immigrant and Mother of Four Shot Dead

On the morning of November 5, 2025, Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez, 32, a Guatemalan immigrant and mother of four, was shot and killed on the porch of a home in Whitestown, Indiana. She and her husband, Mauricio Velasquez, had been working as house cleaners for seven months and arrived at the address believing it was their assigned job for the day. Using a key, Maria attempted to unlock the front door. The homeowner inside fired a shot that struck her in the head. She collapsed into her husband’s arms on the porch and was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency responders arrived quickly but could not save her.

The Investigation

The Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that Maria and her husband were on the porch - not inside the home - when the shooting occurred. A police statement noted the facts gathered did not support that a residential entry had taken place. The homeowner was not publicly identified, and the investigation remained open. The Boone County Coroner ruled the death a homicide due to a gunshot wound, though that classification does not automatically indicate criminal charges will be filed against the shooter.

Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood acknowledged the difficulty in deciding whether to file charges, noting the challenge of determining what constitutes reasonable force under Indiana’s castle doctrine - which, like similar laws in 30 other states, allows homeowners to use deadly force to prevent what they reasonably believe is an unlawful entry. Authorities were reviewing witness interviews and available doorbell camera footage at the time of reporting.

Maria’s Family

Maria’s four children ranged in age from 1 to 17. Her brother described her as hardworking and unarmed at the time of the shooting. The family planned to bury her in Guatemala.

References: A House Cleaner and Mother of Four Approached the Wrong Address. She Was Shot and Killed | House cleaner shot and killed after going to wrong house for a job in Indiana