CBSUS officials are considering bringing charges against an Indiana homeowner who shot and killed a cleaning lady who mistakenly showed up at the wrong address.
Police say they found Maria Florinda Rios Perez dead in her husband's arms on the porch of the house on Wednesday shortly before 07:00 local time (1200 GMT).
Authorities responded to a call about a possible home invasion in the Indianapolis suburb of Whitestown. The two did not appear to have entered the home, police said.
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 have not identified the people in the house or who fired the shots, saying in a statement Friday that this is a “complex, sensitive and evolving case and it would be inappropriate and potentially dangerous to release this information.”
They urged patience, warning of the “spread of misinformation online” about the case.
Mauricio Velasquez told CBS News, the BBC's US affiliate, that he wants justice for his 32-year-old wife.
News reports say she was a mother of four and originally from Guatemala.
In an interview with CBS affiliate WTTV, Mr. Velasquez said the bullet went straight through the door of the house.
“They should have called the police first and not just shot out of nowhere,” he said through a translator.
CBSBoone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood told The Indianapolis Star the case is complicated because of the language of the state's stand-your-ground law.
Many states in the United States have stand-your-ground laws, and most allow a person to defend himself or herself using reasonable force, including deadly force, to prevent death or great 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 Missouri home. Andrew Lester, who was in his 80s, pleaded guilty and died awaiting sentencing.
In New York, 20-year-old Kaylin Gillies died after she was shot while driving into the wrong driveway. The homeowner who shot her is now serving a 25-year sentence.
