Connect with us

Midwest

Indiana man accused of killing house cleaner who mistakenly arrived at front door charged with manslaughter

Published

on

Indiana man accused of killing house cleaner who mistakenly arrived at front door charged with manslaughter

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

An Indiana man has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of a house cleaner who mistakenly arrived at his front door.

Curt Andersen, 62, shot 32-year-old Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez through the front door of his home in Whitestown, an Indianapolis suburb, just before 7 a.m. on Nov. 5, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Officers found Velasquez, a Guatemalan immigrant, dead on the porch. Authorities said she was part of a cleaning crew that had gone to the wrong address.

Andersen told investigators he and his wife were asleep when he heard a “commotion” at the door that grew louder. Believing someone was trying to break in, he looked out a window and saw two people at the door.

Advertisement

INDIANA CLEANING LADY FATALLY SHOT AFTER SHOWING UP AT WRONG HOME: POLICE

Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez, 32, was shot and killed after arriving to clean the wrong home in Whitestown, Indiana, on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (The Associated Press)

He loaded his handgun, returned to the window and saw them “thrusting” at the door. Without announcing himself, he fired a single shot. He said the door was never opened.

The home of Curt Andersen, 62, the Indiana homeowner charged with voluntary manslaughter in the killing of Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez, is shown in Whitestown, Indiana, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

When told he had killed someone, Andersen put his head down and said he didn’t mean for anything to happen to anybody, the affidavit states.

Advertisement

Andersen’s wife, Yoshie Andersen, told investigators that her husband fired the shot from the top of the stairs and neither of them went downstairs. He fired the shot and then told her to call 911, she said.

Investigators are seen at the home of Curt Andersen following the shooting on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (WRTV)

Investigators found a bullet hole in the door but no signs of forced entry on the door, latch or frame.

Velasquez’s husband, Mauricio, told police they had been trying to open the door with keys from their cleaning company for 30 seconds to a minute. They didn’t knock or force entry and heard no voices from inside.

Velasquez’s husband Mauricio told media outlets that he didn’t realize she had been shot until she fell back into his arms, bleeding on the porch. (WRTV)

Advertisement

He told media outlets that he didn’t realize she had been shot until she fell back into his arms, bleeding on the porch. On a fundraising page, her brother described Rios as a mother of four children.

SECOND DETAINEE DIES AFTER DALLAS ICE FACILITY SNIPER ATTACK, FAMILY SPEAKS OUT

Andersen could face 10 to 30 years in prison if convicted. He remains in the Boone County Jail pending an initial court appearance.

Andersen’s attorney Guy Relford said on X he was disappointed by the charges, arguing his client believed his actions were justified and protected under the state’s stand-your-ground law.

“Mr. Andersen’s actions must be evaluated based on the circumstances as he perceived them,” Relford said in the statement.

Advertisement

Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood announces that voluntary manslaughter charges have been filed against an Indiana homeowner in the killing of Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez in Lebanon, Indiana, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood said the case doesn’t qualify under Indiana’s stand-your-ground law because Andersen lacked sufficient information to reasonably believe deadly force was necessary.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Eastwood said the decision to file charges was not difficult and that the state will argue Andersen could not have reasonably believed he was under threat.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Advertisement

Read the full article from Here

Detroit, MI

Detroit water main break snarls travel on East Jefferson Monday morning

Published

on

Detroit water main break snarls travel on East Jefferson Monday morning


Vehicles travel through water collected near water main break in Detroit. 

A water main break in Detroit is causing headaches for drivers and sending water into the streets of one of the city’s east side neighborhoods.

The break involves a 42-inch pipeline at East Jefferson and Burns Drive.

Advertisement

The breakage happened on Sunday, leaving only one lane open for each direction of travel.

Local perspective:

Advertisement

A day after the breakage, water was still gathering on the road of Jefferson Avenue.

Video captured of the scene Monday morning showed vehicles driving through ponds of water. Construction equipment were on site along with traffic cones.

The backstory:

Advertisement

This isn’t the only major disruption to water services in the region.

This weekend, a catastrophic breakage at 14 Mile near Drake impacted several Oakland County communities and thousands of residents.

Advertisement

Novi and Walled Lake were among those hardest hit by the breakage, which included dramatic scenes of waves of water washing down the road, submerging vehicles.

The Source: FOX 2’s Charlie Langton and previous reporting were cited for this story. 

InfrastructureDetroitInstastories
Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Public Schools budget proposals; board meeting Monday

Published

on

Milwaukee Public Schools budget proposals; board meeting Monday


MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius proposed cutting more than 263 non-classroom positions to help bridge a $46 million structural budget deficit.

A special meeting of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors is scheduled to take place on Monday night, March 9, to vote on this proposal. 

Advertisement

Shifting resources

What we know:

The district said the reductions, which would take effect for the 2026–27 school year pending school board approval, would save about $30 million.

Advertisement

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

“It is an extremely difficult day for us here in Milwaukee Public Schools, but in the end, I’m still hopeful. I’m hopeful for our students, I’m hopeful for all of the employees we have, and every single employee matters to us,” said Cassellius. “This is hard, and we’ll get through it.”

Officials said no classroom teacher positions are being cut to close the budget gap. That said, the district may need fewer teachers where there is lower enrollment. About 40 of the 263 positions being eliminated are already vacant, meaning that not all reductions will result in layoffs. Affected employees eligible for classroom-based roles will be encouraged to apply for available positions.

Advertisement

Cassellius stressed that MPS faces rising costs while receiving a $0 state increase in general aid for 2026-27 public school students. While the recent referendum has helped to support arts, physical education, mental health services, and career exploration, the superintendent indicated it does not make up for the lack of state-funded inflation increase

Proposed reductions

By the numbers:

Advertisement

The approximately 263 position reductions include the following, according to the school district:

  • MPS Central Services: About 116 positions from the offices of Academics; Communications; Family, Community, and Partnership; Finance; Human Resources; Operations; Schools office; and the Superintendent’s office
  • Non‑classroom school‑based roles: About 147 positions, including assistant principals, deans of students, and implementers.

The Source: Milwaukee Public Schools released information about its proposal.

Advertisement
Milwaukee Public SchoolsMilwaukeeNewsEducation



Source link

Continue Reading

Minneapolis, MN

MN weather: Bright with highs in the 50s Monday

Published

on

MN weather: Bright with highs in the 50s Monday


Expect a pleasant Monday with light breezes, filtered sunshine, and highs in the 50s. Temperatures cool into the 40s this week with chances for rain and snow. FOX 9 meteorologist Cody Matz has the full forecast.

Show more



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending