Woman Killed After Arriving at Wrong Address for Cleaning Job

A morning that should have been routine turned into a family’s worst nightmare in Whitestown, Indiana. Maria Florinda Ríos Pérez, 32, a devoted mother of four, was shot and killed after she and her husband mistakenly arrived at the wrong house for a cleaning job.

The tragedy unfolded just after 6:45 a.m. on Nov. 5, when police received a 911 call reporting a suspected home invasion on Maize Lane in The Heritage subdivision. When officers arrived, Ríos Pérez was found on the front porch with a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her coworker and husband, Mauricio Velázquez, witnessed the shooting but was unharmed.

Velázquez told IndyStar that he double-checked the address and even drove around the quiet neighborhood to confirm they were at the correct house. As they approached the home, Ríos Pérez joked with her husband while he fumbled for the keys. Before she could even insert the key, Velázquez heard a gunshot.

“I saw my wife had stepped back twice, then she dropped,” Velázquez said through a translator. “I was trying to console her, but I saw the blood coming out.”

Ríos Pérez leaves behind four children: Sayda, 17; Gricelda, 10; Greysi, 8; and Yonathan, who is about to turn 1. Family and friends gathered at her brother’s home in Indianapolis to pray, cook, and support Velázquez and the children during their devastating loss.

“She was the love of my life. She was a good wife and a good mother,” Velázquez said, holding back tears. He added that he now faces the challenge of raising their children alone.

Police confirmed the couple were part of a cleaning crew and were not attempting a break-in. While the investigation is ongoing, authorities said the facts do not support the initial theory of a home invasion. Whitestown police emphasized they are conducting a thorough investigation to understand the full circumstances of the shooting.

Velázquez is demanding justice for his wife and hopes her body can be returned to Guatemala, her birthplace, where she and he met before moving to Indianapolis a year ago.

“The loss of life is always a profound tragedy,” police said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected.”