Family of slain housekeeper questions why the shooter had to shoot

INDIANAPOLIS – An Indianapolis family is in mourning after their matriarch was killed earlier this morning in Whitestown. She was on her way to work as part of a cleaning crew, but had the wrong address.

Her family identified the victim as Maria Florinda Rios Perez. Her husband, Mauricio Velazquez, spoke to Fox59/CBS4 through a translator.

“For him, she was the love of his life. She was always nice,” said Velazquez. “She was a good wife and also a good mother to all four of her children.”

Velazquez was there at the time and says he held on to her until authorities arrived.

The call initially came in as a home invasion.

But Velazquez and Whitestown police say the woman never entered the home. Perez was shot and killed through the door and Velazquez says he never saw who fired the shot.

Perez leaves behind four children, from a 17-year-old to an infant who is about to turn 1. 

“For anyone that’s watching, just pray for them, for their family, because it’s not going to be easy,” said Velazquez. 

Whitestown police are working with the Boone County Prosecutor’s office to determine if the shooting was justified.

“They should’ve called the police first instead of just shooting out of nowhere like that. He says it’s not good what they did,” said Velazquez. “He shouldn’t be taking lives of people like that because now he has to raise four kids by himself. 

In addition to raising those four kids, Velazquez says he is now preparing to take his wife back to her native Guatemala for her burial.