An Indiana man has been charged with homicide after he shot and killed a house cleaner who mistakenly arrived at his home. Curt Andersen, 62, faces voluntary manslaughter charges in the death of 32-year-old Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez. If convicted, he could face 10 to 30 years in prison. Andersen is currently held at the Boone County Jail and is awaiting his initial court hearing, where his attorney plans to request bail.

During a press conference, Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood stated that the evidence collected by the Whitestown Police Department made it clear that charges were necessary. "I hate to sound cavalier about this, but it wasn’t a hard decision," Eastwood said. He indicated that the prosecution would argue that Indiana's "stand your ground law" does not apply in this case.

Andersen's attorney, Guy Relford, who leads a gun rights organization, contends that his client's actions were justified under Indiana's "castle doctrine," which allows for self-defense in one's home. According to a probable cause affidavit, Velasquez and her husband, Mauricio, were given the address of a model home in Whitestown for cleaning. However, their GPS directed them to Andersen's residence instead.

Assuming they were at the correct location, Velasquez attempted to enter the home using keys provided by their employer. Mauricio reported that they tried to access the door for about 30 seconds to a minute. Inside, Andersen was awakened just before 7 a.m. by noises he believed were attempts to open his front door. He described hearing "some type of keys, tools, or instrument being used."

Fearing for his safety, Andersen retrieved a handgun from a locked container and returned to the top of the stairs. He claimed the individuals outside were aggressively trying to enter. However, Mauricio stated that they did not bang or knock on the door. A forensic investigation revealed no signs of forced entry, and the door showed no disturbances in the dust on its exterior.

Without announcing himself, Andersen fired a single shot through the door, which struck Velasquez in the head. Her husband reported that he heard no movement from inside the house after the gunshot. "I never thought it was a shot, but I realized when my wife took two steps back, she looked like she’d been hit in the head," he said through a translator. Velasquez fell into her husband's arms, bleeding profusely.

The couple had four children, ranging from 17 years old to just 11 months. A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the family. After the incident, Andersen expressed his distress, stating he did not intend for anyone to be harmed.

Indiana's "stand your ground" law allows individuals to use reasonable force, including deadly force, to prevent unlawful entry or attack. Eastwood emphasized that Andersen's actions did not meet the legal criteria for such protections, as he lacked the necessary information to justify his response. "Once we had all the information in front of us, once we looked at the law, once we looked at the case law, it became clear what the appropriate way to proceed with this case was," Eastwood explained.

Relford countered that Andersen acted based on his perception of the situation at the time. "We also believe that Mr. Andersen’s actions are being unfairly judged based on facts that were unknowable to him as events unfolded that early morning," he stated. "The law does not allow a criminal conviction based on hindsight. Instead, Mr. Andersen’s actions must be evaluated based on the circumstances as he perceived them."