Boone County Prosecutor’s Office asks for patience as it reviews fatal shooting of cleaning lady in Whitestown

WHITESTOWN, Ind. — The Boone County Prosecutor said he is reviewing all available evidence after receiving the initial investigative report into the deadly shooting of a cleaning woman in what he described as a “heartbreaking case.”

Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood said his office is sifting through “every piece of evidence” that his office has received from the Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department to determine the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting of Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez.

Eastwood said the review will likely take several more days as the team of prosecutors works to uncover the circumstances and motivations behind a shooting that may have stemmed from a case of mistaken identity and ultimately decide if the shooting was justified.

According to previous reports, officers were called to investigate a report of a possible home invasion at a home around 6:49 a.m. on Maize Lane. When they arrived, they found Perez dead on the porch after being shot. They later determined that the shot came from inside the house, as a bullet hole was observed in the front door.

Investigators later concluded that there was no evidence that a home invasion had taken place before the deadly shooting occurred. Preliminary information indicated the woman was a member of a cleaning crew who reportedly arrived at the wrong address.

WMPD said that multiple people were inside the home when the incident happened and that investigators recovered a firearm from the scene.

FOX59/CBS4 previously spoke with the victim’s family, including her husband Mauricio Velazquez, who questioned the motive behind the shooting. Perez left behind four children, including an infant who is about to turn 1.

“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. 

Eastwood said he will announce the decision by the end of this coming week or the beginning of the following week, once he has completed an “exhaustive review” of the evidence. Eastwood added that he has been in touch with the victim’s family and their legal representative during this process.

He cited rules 3.6 and 3.8 of the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct, which he said prohibit the prosecutor’s office from elaborating on specific details or possible outcomes.

“Indiana’s Stand Your Ground law and the unique circumstances of this case make a careful,
detailed review essential before determining what steps we may take next,” Eastwood said. “Our hearts remain with Mrs. Rios Perez de Velasquez’s loved ones. Justice requires patience, and we ask for the community’s understanding as we work diligently to reach the right decision
under Indiana law.”