The remains of the Guatemalan migrant murdered in the US after choosing the wrong house are repatriated
Maria Florinda Rios Perez worked cleaning houses and died after being shot at the wrong house
Maria Florinda Rios Perez, 32, and a mother of four, lost her life on November 5 when she went to the wrong address and was fatally shot in the head while trying to open the door of the house. According to her husband's account, the suspect opened fire through the door instead of calling the police. Thus, 20 days after that tragedy, the body of the Guatemalan migrant arrived in Guatemala, where she will be buried this Tuesday. The victim's mother, Vilma Perez, and other relatives received the coffin in the Guatemalan capital and transported it to the community of Xacana Chiquito, in the municipality of Cabrican, department of Quetzaltenango, located about 250 kilometers from Guatemala City, for her burial on Tuesday. The Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that, through the Guatemalan Consulate General in Chicago, it followed up on the case, offering consular, legal, and immigration assistance to the family, but the relatives decided to cover the repatriation costs themselves through a fundraising campaign, so consular support was limited to processing the necessary documentation.
The woman and her husband, Mauricio Velasquez, worked for a cleaning company that gave them the wrong address of a house they were supposed to clean that day.
She approached the door and was shot in the head by the accused, Curt Andersen, 62, who, according to the initial investigation, said he felt threatened by the woman's presence.
Police responded to the residence after receiving a call about a possible home invasion. When they arrived, officers found the Guatemalan woman dead on the porch of the house.
County Attorney Kent Eastwood cautioned that determining liability is complex due to the potential involvement of so-called "castle" laws in Indiana. These laws allow homeowners to use force, including lethal force, whenever there is a reasonable belief that someone is attempting to enter their home without authorization. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, similar laws exist in at least 31 US states.