A 32-year-old house cleaner and mother of four, Maria Florinda Rios Perez, lost her life in a tragic shooting outside a home near Indianapolis on Wednesday, November 5. She reportedly died in her husband’s arms after being shot in the head.
Maria, an immigrant from Guatemala, had gone with her husband to clean a house in Whitestown, Indiana, early that morning. According to her brother, Rudy Rios, they mistakenly arrived at the wrong address. When Maria tried to unlock the door with her keys, the homeowner allegedly opened fire, striking her fatally.
“She was only trying to earn an honest living for her children,” Rudy said in Spanish. “She made a mistake, but he shouldn’t have taken her life. She had nothing in her hands, just the keys.”
Police received a 911 call at about 6:49 a.m. reporting a possible break-in at a residence in the Heritage subdivision. Officers arrived to find Maria wounded and her husband beside her. Despite attempts to save her life, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators later confirmed that the couple were professional cleaners who had gone to the wrong home by accident. The Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department described the case as an “isolated incident,” stressing that it was neither a home invasion nor a burglary.
“The loss of life is always a profound tragedy, and our hearts go out to all those affected,” the department said in a statement. Officials urged the public not to speculate or spread unverified information while the investigation continues in collaboration with Boone County prosecutors.
Maria’s brother said the family is demanding justice for her death, believing that bias against immigrants may have played a role. “She had no bad intentions,” he said. “He could have warned her, but instead he ended her life.”
Maria leaves behind four children, aged between one and seventeen. Her family is now raising funds to support them and return her body to Guatemala for burial. Rudy described her as “loving, humble, happy, and devoted to her family.”
