An Indiana homeowner accused of killing a house cleaner who mistakenly arrived at his front door now faces an involuntary manslaughter charge. Officials charged him on Monday. The case will likely test the limits of stand-your-ground laws. Curt Anderson could face anywhere from 10 to 30 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if a court convicts him for the death of Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez.
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Curt Anderson Claims House Cleaner Was “Thrusting” Toward His Front Door
Officers found 32-year-old Maria dead on the front porch of a home in Whitestown, an Indianapolis suburb. Authorities said the Guatemalan immigrant was part of a cleaning crew that went to the wrong house just before 7 a.m. on November 5. The cleaning company that employed Maria and her husband confirmed that they were supposed to clean a model home in a nearby subdivision.
Rios’ husband told media outlets that he was with her on the porch and someone fired through the front door. He didn’t realize she had been shot until she fell back into his arms, bleeding. Authorities determined she had been shot in the head.
Meanwhile, according to a probable cause statement, Anderson told investigators that he and his wife were asleep in an upstairs bedroom when he heard a “commotion at the door” that grew more intense. He thought someone was using keys or tools on the front door.
Frightened, he went to the top of the stairwell and saw through the home’s windows that two people were outside the front door. He said to himself, “What am I going to do? It’s not going away and I have to do something now.” He said he didn’t want to hurt anyone. However, he loaded his handgun, went back to the stairwell and saw through the windows the people “thrusting” at the door and getting more aggressive, according to the statement. He fired one shot toward the door. Anderson said the door never opened. Also, he didn’t announce himself or say anything before he pulled the trigger.
Investigators found a bullet hole in the door, but no evidence of any forceful contact with the door itself, the latch or the door frame.
Shooter’s Lawyer Speaks Out About Charge
According to the Associated Press, officials are holding Curt Anderson in the Boone County Jail pending an initial court hearing. Anderson’s attorney, Guy Relford, posted a statement on X saying he was disappointed that prosecutors charged his client. He said Anderson had every reason to believe his actions were justified and the stand-your-ground law clearly protects him.
“Mr. Anderson’s actions must be evaluated based on the circumstances as he perceived them,” Relford said in the statement.
Will Indiana’s Stand-Your-Ground Law Apply In This Case?
Indiana is one of 31 states with a stand-your-ground law. The law permits homeowners to use deadly force to stop someone they believe is trying to enter their dwelling unlawfully. But police said that there’s no evidence that the house cleaner entered Curt Anderson’s home before he shot her.
Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood told reporters at a news conference that the decision to charge Anderson wasn’t difficult. Additionally, Eastwood said, stand-your-ground protections don’t apply because Anderson lacked enough information to know if his actions were reasonable.
“It is our belief that the person did not have a reasonable belief that type of force was necessary given all the facts that he had at that time,” Eastwood said.
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Associated Press writer Todd Richmond contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
