CBSUS officials are considering whether to press charges against an Indiana homeowner who shot and killed a home cleaner when he mistakenly came to the wrong address.
Police say they found Maria Florinda Rios Perez dead in her husband’s arms on the front porch of a home on Wednesday shortly before 0700 local time (12:00 GMT).
Authorities were responding to a call about a possible home invasion in the Indianapolis suburb of Whitestown. Police said in a statement that it did not appear that the two entered the house.
They have formally submitted the case to the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office for review to determine whether criminal charges will be filed in the case.
Police did not identify the people in the home or who fired the shots, saying in a statement Friday that it was a “complex, sensitive and evolving case, and it would be inappropriate and potentially dangerous to release this information.”
They urged patience, warning against the “spread of misinformation online” about the issue.
Mauricio Velasquez told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that he wanted justice for his 32-year-old wife.
News reports say she is a mother of four and originally from Guatemala.
In an interview with CBS affiliate WTTV, Velasquez said the bullet went right through the door of the house.
“They should have called the police first instead of suddenly shooting like that,” he said through a translator.
CBSBoone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood told the Indianapolis Star that the case is complicated by the language of state law.
There are “stand your ground” laws in place in many US states, most of which allow an individual to protect themselves by using reasonable force, including deadly force, to prevent death or serious bodily harm.
Similar incidents have made headlines across the United States in recent years.
In 2023, Ralph Jarl, then 16, was shot twice after ringing the doorbell of the wrong house in Missouri. Andrew Lister, who was in his 80s, pleaded guilty and died while awaiting sentencing.
In New York, 20-year-old Kaylyn Gillis died after being shot as she entered the wrong lane. The homeowner who shot her is now serving a 25-year prison sentence.