Indiana Man Charged With Voluntary Manslaughter in Home Invasion Case
A judge has set a $25,000 bail for Curt Andersen, a 62-year-old Indiana man accused of killing a Guatemalan immigrant who mistakenly entered his home. Andersen is charged with voluntary manslaughter in connection with the November 5th death of Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez.
Rios and her husband were part of a house cleaning crew that went to Andersen's residence by mistake, leaving them no choice but to use a key provided by the company to try and unlock his door. However, Andersen fired a shot through the door, hitting Rios in the head before she could be harmed. Her husband was not injured.
Andersen claimed he believed someone was attempting to break into his home when he heard the lock being opened, but investigators have stated there is no evidence that Rios entered his property before the shooting. Andersen's defense attorney has maintained that his actions were justified under Indiana's stand-your-ground law, which allows homeowners to use deadly force in self-defense.
The case promises to be a test of this law, with prosecutors arguing that Andersen overreacted and used excessive force. A jury trial is set to begin on March 30th, during which time Andersen will remain at liberty while his bail stands.
Andersen has been ordered to surrender his passport as part of the conditions of his release from custody. His attorney was unavailable for comment, but prosecutors have declined to discuss the case further.
Rios' family plans to return her body to Guatemala this weekend and are set to hold a funeral in Cabrican on Sunday. The case highlights concerns about the limits of self-defense laws and the potential consequences of using deadly force in response to perceived threats.
A judge has set a $25,000 bail for Curt Andersen, a 62-year-old Indiana man accused of killing a Guatemalan immigrant who mistakenly entered his home. Andersen is charged with voluntary manslaughter in connection with the November 5th death of Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez.
Rios and her husband were part of a house cleaning crew that went to Andersen's residence by mistake, leaving them no choice but to use a key provided by the company to try and unlock his door. However, Andersen fired a shot through the door, hitting Rios in the head before she could be harmed. Her husband was not injured.
Andersen claimed he believed someone was attempting to break into his home when he heard the lock being opened, but investigators have stated there is no evidence that Rios entered his property before the shooting. Andersen's defense attorney has maintained that his actions were justified under Indiana's stand-your-ground law, which allows homeowners to use deadly force in self-defense.
The case promises to be a test of this law, with prosecutors arguing that Andersen overreacted and used excessive force. A jury trial is set to begin on March 30th, during which time Andersen will remain at liberty while his bail stands.
Andersen has been ordered to surrender his passport as part of the conditions of his release from custody. His attorney was unavailable for comment, but prosecutors have declined to discuss the case further.
Rios' family plans to return her body to Guatemala this weekend and are set to hold a funeral in Cabrican on Sunday. The case highlights concerns about the limits of self-defense laws and the potential consequences of using deadly force in response to perceived threats.
this whole thing is super messed up - a guy shoots someone in their own home because they accidentally ring his doorbell? it's not like he had any right to think that was an invasion, and now we're left wondering if the stand-your-ground law will be able to hold him accountable... 
so like, what's wrong with having a key provided by a house cleaning crew just not being enough protection? 
i mean, i get it that Andersen thought someone was breaking into his home but like, did he really need to shoot her in the head? 
seems really extreme to me... and what's with this stand-your-ground law thingy? 
isn't that supposed to protect people or something? 
maria was just tryna do her job like anyone else 
and then this guy goes and shoots her 
. i hope justice gets served on march 30th 
, but for now let's all just take a deep breath and try to process how something like this can happen in our own backyard 
According to the crime rate statistics in Indiana (1.2% violent crime rate in 2022), it seems like a relatively low incident. But if you look at the charts on murder rates by year (like this one [link]), you can see that there's been an upward trend since 2015... 
For example, in 2020, the murder victim was about 35 years old on average, while the perpetrator was around 28. That's pretty interesting! 
and now he's being charged with manslaughter?! i mean, i get it, you don't wanna be woken up by someone breaking into your house at 3am but come on, use the doorbell or somethin'! and now this guy is gonna have to face a trial to prove that he was justified under indiana's stand-your-ground law 
anyway, i hope this case brings some change to those self-defense laws and makes people think twice before resorting to violence 
they were just trying to do their job and enter curts house by mistake, but he freaked out and shot her 
anyway, this case better be a wake-up call for us to think about our actions and how they affect others 
this whole situation is so messed up... 62 year old man kills someone over a mistaken home invasion, and now he's trying to say it was self defense? like, how can you even justify shooting her in the head when she's just holding a key and trying to help? 
. I'm thinking about Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez too, poor lady... my heart goes out to her family who are gonna be grieving in Guatemala. And what's with this stand-your-ground law thingy? It's like they're saying it's okay to just shoot first and ask questions later 
I mean, I get it, he was scared, but voluntary manslaughter is way harsher than a warning 
. And what's even crazier is that the law is gonna be tested because of this... like, isn't stand-your-ground meant to keep people safe not kill them?