A house cleaner was shot and killed after reportedly attempting to enter the wrong property by accident.
Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez, who has been in the US for two years and working as a cleaner, was shot and killed by a homeowner on November 5.
The 32-year-old mother was heading to a private residence in Whitestown, Indiana, on Wednesday morning and had tried to open the door with a key.
But she was promptly shot in the head by the homeowner, according to her brother Rudy Rios.
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He added that de Velasquez then ‘fell into the arms of her husband’, who was with her at the time.
Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department Captain John Yurkosh has confirmed that an investigation is ongoing into the details surrounding this incident.
Yurkosh said: “We are just trying to unravel what exactly happened and, if applicable, what charges there would be. This is still very fresh."
In a social media post, police also offered more clarification on the moments that occurred after de Velasquez was shot.
They noted that at this time, it is believed de Velasquez had gone to the wrong property when she was shot.
In a Facebook post, the police department wrote: “Officers acted quickly to secure the home, and get the female moved to a safe location to attempt life-saving measures, but it was discovered she was already deceased upon the officers’ arrival.
“It was later determined that the individuals attempting to enter the home were members of a cleaning crew who had mistakenly arrived at the wrong address.
“This remains an active and ongoing investigation into the fatal shooting. The facts gathered do not support that a residential entry occurred.
“We understand that incidents like this can cause concern and speculation. We respectfully ask the public to place their trust in the investigative process and refrain from sharing unverified information.”
Authorities responded to the scene after receiving a 911 call ‘reporting a “possible” residential entry in progress at a home’, according to the Whitestown Police Department.
An autopsy was performed on de Velasquez's body and Boone County Coroner Justin Sparks confirmed to WRTV that her death was ruled a homicide.
Sparks clarified that this classification does not necessarily mean the individual responsible will be criminally charged.
He added: “It has no impact. It is a classification of manner of death. No implication in the criminal realm. Homicide in the context means the death was caused by a volitional act by another person, not necessarily implying criminal intent.”
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Gerrard Kaonga