A house cleaner and mother of four died in her husband’s arms on Wednesday after being shot outside a home in Indiana, when the couple mistakenly tried to enter a home at the wrong address.
The woman’s brother, Rudy Rios, told NBC News that his sister, Maria Florinda Rios Perez, a 32-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, was on her way to work with her husband to clean a home in Whitestown, Ind., on Wednesday morning when she was killed.
Rios said his sister had just arrived at a house, which she mistook for her client’s house, and was attempting to unlock the front door with a key when she was shot in the head and “fell into the arms of her husband.”
“It’s so unjust. She was only trying to bring home the daily bread to support her family,” Rios told the U.S outlet.
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“She accidentally went to the wrong house, but he shouldn’t have taken her life,” he added.
“She wasn’t threatening, she had nothing in her hands, only those keys,” he continued.
Rios said his sister had four children, ranging in age from one to 17, and said they were “completely destroyed” by her death.
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According to a statement from the Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded to a 911 call at approximately 6:49 a.m. on Wednesday, reporting a possible residential entry in progress at a home in the Heritage subdivision.
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Officers encountered an adult female who had sustained a gunshot wound, along with an adult male, on the front porch of the residence. Police attempted life-saving measures, but the victim was declared dead on the scene.
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“It was later determined that the individuals attempting to enter the home were members of a cleaning crew who had mistakenly arrived at the wrong address,” according to investigators.
It was later determined that there was no evidence of a break-in or burglary and that the incident was isolated.
“The loss of life is always a profound tragedy, and our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected,” police said, adding that an investigation is ongoing.
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Investigators have asked the public to refrain from speculation while they work with Boone County prosecutors to determine if a crime was committed.
“We understand that incidents like this can cause concern and speculation. We respectfully ask the public to place their trust in the investigative process and refrain from sharing unverified information … misinformation can be harmful to those involved and to the integrity of the investigation,” the statement said, adding that an official update could be available next week.
“Stand Your Ground” laws in Indiana mean that individuals have the right to use deadly force to protect or defend against an imminent threat of death, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood told NBC News that “they have no duty to retreat, that’s in the law. That person who uses that force has to reasonably believe that the force is necessary to prevent or terminate an unlawful entry or attack on the person’s dwelling.”
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Rios said his family wants the person who shot and killed his sister to be arrested and charged, saying, “tomorrow there could be more victims like this.” He also said he believes his sister’s death came at a time when violence against immigrants and racial profiling is on the rise.
“She had no bad intentions,” he said.
The family is now raising money to support Perez’s children and to transport her body to Guatemala to be buried, he explained.
He said he wanted people to remember his sister as dedicated to her family, “very loving, humble, happy.”
“He could have given her a warning, but instead he killed her,” he said.
Police have not identified the shooter.
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