Cleaning crew member shot and killed on porch after arriving at the wrong house

[Friday Fan]

Indiana homeowner charged with manslaughter in killing of house cleaner that went to wrong address

Rios Perez, a 32-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, was killed on Nov. 5 after she mistakenly went to the incorrect home in the Indianapolis suburb of Whitestown.

www.nbcnews.com

“Curt Anderson, 62, will face one count of voluntary manslaughter, Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood announced.

The prosecutor acknowledged that Indiana has strong protections for self-defense, but said those protections did not apply in this instance.”

In the end, Eastwood said his office's decision to charge Anderson was clear cut.

"Honestly it wasn't, I hate to sound cavalier about this, but it was not a hard decision," he said.

____________________

I'm relieved.

With all of these stand your ground laws, "shoot first" type stuff, SM which is full of a paranoia about "strangers in neighborhoods", and even signs that can be bought that state, "we don't call 911", we need to assure that ordinary people such as Ms Perez and her husband remain safe.

The sentiment that people are entitled to just shoot people because they are paranoid or whatever needs to be challenged by authorities.

 

[louvillian08]

Indiana homeowner charged with manslaughter in killing of house cleaner that went to wrong address

Rios Perez, a 32-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, was killed on Nov. 5 after she mistakenly went to the incorrect home in the Indianapolis suburb of Whitestown.

www.nbcnews.com

“Curt Anderson, 62, will face one count of voluntary manslaughter, Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood announced.

The prosecutor acknowledged that Indiana has strong protections for self-defense, but said those protections did not apply in this instance.”

The article also says:
"In the end, Eastwood said his office's decision to charge Anderson was clear cut.

"Honestly it wasn't, I hate to sound cavalier about this, but it was not a hard decision," he said."

Pretty definitive statement from a prosecutor. Glad to see charges and the start of justice for Maria

 

[legalmomma]

Anyone find the PCA? All news organizations are posting about its contents but no actual document. I’ll look on the Indiana case cite but saw this:
-Andersen shot one shot from the top of the stairs and hit Maria in the head after retrieving his gun from his “safe room”
- Andersen never announced himself prior to shooting

Homeowner charged with voluntary manslaughter in fatal shooting of cleaning worker who arrived at wrong Whitestown home

María Florinda Ríos Pérez De Velásquez, a mother of four, was killed in the shooting around 7 a.m. Nov. 5 on Maize Lane in the Heritage subdivision.

www.wthr.com

Hmmmmmm

I don’t have a “safe room” in my house in suburban Indiana. Whitestown used to be rural but now has many neighborhoods and is adjacent to Zionsville, another middle-upper class northwest Indy suburban area.

 

[tara83]

Anyone find the PCA? All news organizations are posting about its contents but no actual document. I’ll look on the Indiana case cite but saw this:
-Andersen shot one shot from the top of the stairs and hit Maria in the head after retrieving his gun from his “safe room”
- Andersen never announced himself prior to shooting

Homeowner charged with voluntary manslaughter in fatal shooting of cleaning worker who arrived at wrong Whitestown home

María Florinda Ríos Pérez De Velásquez, a mother of four, was killed in the shooting around 7 a.m. Nov. 5 on Maize Lane in the Heritage subdivision.

www.wthr.com

Hmmmmmm

I don’t have a “safe room” in my house in suburban Indiana. Whitestown used to be rural but now has many neighborhoods and is adjacent to Zionsville, another middle-upper class northwest Indy suburban area.

Uh if he had a safe room why didn't he hide there until the cops came? It gets stranger and stranger.

 

[kuromiiiilove]

Anyone find the PCA? All news organizations are posting about its contents but no actual document. I’ll look on the Indiana case cite but saw this:
-Andersen shot one shot from the top of the stairs and hit Maria in the head after retrieving his gun from his “safe room”
- Andersen never announced himself prior to shooting

Homeowner charged with voluntary manslaughter in fatal shooting of cleaning worker who arrived at wrong Whitestown home

María Florinda Ríos Pérez De Velásquez, a mother of four, was killed in the shooting around 7 a.m. Nov. 5 on Maize Lane in the Heritage subdivision.

www.wthr.com

Hmmmmmm

I don’t have a “safe room” in my house in suburban Indiana. Whitestown used to be rural but now has many neighborhoods and is adjacent to Zionsville, another middle-upper class northwest Indy suburban area.

So he never shouted at them to leave, never tried to communicate with them. But decided shooting through the door was the proper move here.

 

[kuromiiiilove]

Uh if he had a safe room why didn't he hide there until the cops came? It gets stranger and stranger.

I think ‘sudden heat’ as defined Indiana’s manslaughter charge is telling here. He wasn’t scared. He was angry.

IMO

 

[sunspun]

I forgot about Tamir Rice. Thanks.

I still don't think they would have been shot by police. And if police are asked what they would have done, they likely will say, "We would have assessed the situation". But hindsight is 2020.

Really, I wasn't saying I thought that would have happened; I was more taking a jab at police who we've seen are too quick to shoot and on much too limited information, resulting in too many deaths of innocent people. I thought of that kind of scenario when I read that this shooter gave the dispatcher what I would call misleading information in this case. And the details he gave were things that would have the officers on high alert. Which is when it really gets dangerous.

Now I'm thinking of another analogy, swatting. So it's almost like he swatted his own house. No, not an exact analogy, I know, but in a way is similar. A true swatter would have gone far beyond the details the homeowner gave, of course, but the homeowner had a good start. It's like he was a swatter who was afraid to really go all the way with his "prank", and so just gave slightly incendiary details instead of saying they had already broken his door down and killed everyone in the house but him, which is more like what true swatters tell 911. imo

 

[sunspun]

Uh if he had a safe room why didn't he hide there until the cops came? It gets stranger and stranger.

Maybe he meant a room with a safe?? Makes no sense, I agree.

 

[sunspun]

Anyone find the PCA? All news organizations are posting about its contents but no actual document. I’ll look on the Indiana case cite but saw this:
-Andersen shot one shot from the top of the stairs and hit Maria in the head after retrieving his gun from his “safe room”
- Andersen never announced himself prior to shooting

Homeowner charged with voluntary manslaughter in fatal shooting of cleaning worker who arrived at wrong Whitestown home

María Florinda Ríos Pérez De Velásquez, a mother of four, was killed in the shooting around 7 a.m. Nov. 5 on Maize Lane in the Heritage subdivision.

www.wthr.com

Hmmmmmm

I don’t have a “safe room” in my house in suburban Indiana. Whitestown used to be rural but now has many neighborhoods and is adjacent to Zionsville, another middle-upper class northwest Indy suburban area.

Shot one shot through his front door from the top of his stairs, which turned out to be a lethal headshot.

Well, I feel I have to look at it differently with these new details. I've thought all along what he did was criminal and deserved to be charged, and I absolutely still say that, and glad to see charges filed.

But now I don't think he meant to kill her, or anyone. Shooting through the door where you are fully aware there are two people standing on the other side of, obviously incredibly stupid and reckless, and the possibility of a fatality should have been foremost in his mind and stopping him from such a reckless act. But I don't think he considered a fatality. I think he considered this his warning shot. Yes, very ill-advised warning shot, but I think that's what he thought he was doing.

And instead, it was a pure lucky (unlucky!) shot. I think the odds of him shooting from the top of his stairs thru his door and having this fatal headshot result are slim. Not slim enough by far to take the chance, as he did though. And the odds of him hitting one or the other somewhere, not necessarily the head, seem very high. So still stupidity in the highest degree. But I do feel like he was surprised as anyone that someone died from that shot. Doesn't pardon him whatsoever. Reckless stupidity resulting in the death of another is criminal, and they're right to charge him. But I can see why not murder. JMO

 

[Greenestdays]

Charges filed in shooting death of house cleaner Maria Rios Perez

Charges filed in Whitestown shooting death of house cleaner Maria Rios Perez. Suspect Curt Andersen faces voluntary manslaughter charge.

www.wishtv.com

Wish it would have been a murder charge

JMO

Agreed.

Can anybody find any info on what the perp’s background is? His name was doing the rounds on social media almost immediately and I’m curious whether other rumoured info happens to also be true (like his occupation for example).

 

[legalmomma]

I would bet the “safe room” will be huge at trial. It would not be a room for tornados, as it was upstairs. To have a safe room, something must have happened to have one installed. Unless the mere presence of having his gun stored in that room made it “safe” to him. Yes, this will be a big part of the prosecutors case.

Defense atty Guy Relford is the “gun guy” on WIBC conservative radio. Teaches firearm safety. Used to be in house counsel for years and litigated then, but never with a law firm. Curious if he will take this to trial.

 

[angelainwi]

Agreed.

Can anybody find any info on what the perp’s background is? His name was doing the rounds on social media almost immediately and I’m curious whether other rumoured info happens to also be true (like his occupation for example).

what was that occupation?

 

[legalmomma]

Whitestown homeowner charged with voluntary manslaughter after shooting cleaning worker at wrong address

A homeowner has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the November 5th shooting death of a cleaning crew member who went to the wrong address.

www.wrtv.com

According to the affidavit, Andersen told investigators he was a psychiatric registered nurse and worked for the Navy for more than 20 years. He said the only time he had shot a gun before was during his Navy service.

 

[louvillian08]

Anyone find the PCA? All news organizations are posting about its contents but no actual document. I’ll look on the Indiana case cite but saw this:
-Andersen shot one shot from the top of the stairs and hit Maria in the head after retrieving his gun from his “safe room”
- Andersen never announced himself prior to shooting

Homeowner charged with voluntary manslaughter in fatal shooting of cleaning worker who arrived at wrong Whitestown home

María Florinda Ríos Pérez De Velásquez, a mother of four, was killed in the shooting around 7 a.m. Nov. 5 on Maize Lane in the Heritage subdivision.

www.wthr.com

Hmmmmmm

I don’t have a “safe room” in my house in suburban Indiana. Whitestown used to be rural but now has many neighborhoods and is adjacent to Zionsville, another middle-upper class northwest Indy suburban area.

I tried looking but no luck so far. Both court sites I went to had the case and all the updates logged but no documents that I could see.

I was extra curious because that article had quite a bit of information that contradicts early reporting. Not unusual of course but I was surprised to see that article frame it as there was only one 911 call, after the shooting. I wanted to see the PCA to see if that was his statement or if that was the reality.

 

[legalmomma]

Hmmmm. Relford Already discussing it on WIBC contrary to attorney ethics

https://twitter.com/x/status/1990542818264396227

 

[Dotta]

Shot one shot through his front door from the top of his stairs, which turned out to be a lethal headshot.

Well, I feel I have to look at it differently with these new details. I've thought all along what he did was criminal and deserved to be charged, and I absolutely still say that, and glad to see charges filed.

But now I don't think he meant to kill her, or anyone. Shooting through the door where you are fully aware there are two people standing on the other side of, obviously incredibly stupid and reckless, and the possibility of a fatality should have been foremost in his mind and stopping him from such a reckless act. But I don't think he considered a fatality. I think he considered this his warning shot. Yes, very ill-advised warning shot, but I think that's what he thought he was doing.

And instead, it was a pure lucky (unlucky!) shot. I think the odds of him shooting from the top of his stairs thru his door and having this fatal headshot result are slim. Not slim enough by far to take the chance, as he did though. And the odds of him hitting one or the other somewhere, not necessarily the head, seem very high. So still stupidity in the highest degree. But I do feel like he was surprised as anyone that someone died from that shot. Doesn't pardon him whatsoever. Reckless stupidity resulting in the death of another is criminal, and they're right to charge him. But I can see why not murder. JMO

As some say:

"Stupidity is worse than Malice".



JMO

 

[Friday Fan]

Anyone find the PCA? All news organizations are posting about its contents but no actual document. I’ll look on the Indiana case cite but saw this:
-Andersen shot one shot from the top of the stairs and hit Maria in the head after retrieving his gun from his “safe room”
- Andersen never announced himself prior to shooting

Homeowner charged with voluntary manslaughter in fatal shooting of cleaning worker who arrived at wrong Whitestown home

María Florinda Ríos Pérez De Velásquez, a mother of four, was killed in the shooting around 7 a.m. Nov. 5 on Maize Lane in the Heritage subdivision.

www.wthr.com

Hmmmmmm

I don’t have a “safe room” in my house in suburban Indiana. Whitestown used to be rural but now has many neighborhoods and is adjacent to Zionsville, another middle-upper class northwest Indy suburban area.

He called 911 after shooting and hearing Mr. Vasquez weeping stating "please come, please come, please come, they are trying to get in." WTF???

After police arrived at his home he told them that he was "still scared of the people on the porch and that he wanted them off the porch to feel safe to come down."

Mr Vasquez had to remove his wife's body from the porch?

WTF? Good gosh......

 

[LoveyG]

This face has done a lot of scowling over the years, IMO.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

He called 911 after shooting and hearing Mr. Vasquez weeping stating "please come, please come, please come, they are trying to get in." WTF???

After police arrived at his home he told them that he was "still scared of the people on the porch and that he wanted them off the porch to feel safe to come down."

Mr Vasquez had to remove his wife's body from the porch?

WTF? Good gosh......

So even with police there, he was scared "of the people on the porch." Really? One of them was dead, the other was weeping, police were there with him, and he was still afraid? Might as well just say it was the color of their skin and get it over with. May justice be swift in this case.

 

[Izzylizzy]

people in this country have a terrifyingly exaggerrated sense of when "self defense" applies

The problem is they have the "Stand Your Ground" laws behind them and Indiana is one of the many states that don't require a "duty to retreat"..
Many people think this gives them carte-blanche to just shoot away without any criminal consequences.

imo

https://www.purduegloballawschool.edu/blog/news/indiana-stand-your-ground-law