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

An Indiana homeowner was charged in connection to the fatal shooting of a house cleaner who arrived at the wrong address before she was gunned down outside that front door, officials said Monday.

Curt Anderson, 62, was taken into custody and was being held without bail on Monday, booked on one count of voluntary manslaughter, jail records showed.

Anderson “did not have a reasonable belief that that type of force was necessary, given all the facts,” Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood told reporters.

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

“It is vitally important for the citizens of Boone County to understand that our decision today in no way should be interpreted as a challenge to Indiana’s stand your ground law, a person’s right to self-defense,” Eastwood said.

“We respect those laws, believe in those laws and will uphold those laws. Based upon the particular evidence and circumstances of this case, we have determined that Curt Anderson’s actions do not fall within the legal protections provided by the Indiana stand your ground law.”

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.

Rios Perez, a 32-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, was killed on Nov. 5 after she and her husband mistakenly went to the wrong home in anticipation of a day’s work as house cleaners in the Indianapolis suburb of Whitestown.

She was shot in the head and died in the arms of husband Mauricio Velásquez, family members said.

Perez had four children, ranging in age from 11 months to 17.

The prosecutor will have to overcome Indiana code that grants wide latitude to Hoosier state residents to use “reasonable” force “to prevent serious bodily injury to the person.”

“It is vague (what is reasonable),” said Indianapolis defense attorney Courtney Benson-Kooy, who serves on the executive committee of the Indiana Bar’s Criminal Justice Section.

“It’s going to be completely up to the jury to determine whether the person actually believed that they were in fear or that (lethal) force was necessary,” Benson-Kooy said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Senior Breaking News Reporter

Daniella Silva contributed.