US homeowner charged in killing of cleaner who arrived at wrong house

US prosecutors have filed charges against a homeowner who shot at a cleaning crew who had mistakenly come to his home, killing a mother-of-four.

Curt Andersen is charged with voluntary manslaughter, Indiana prosecutors announced on Monday.

Maria Florinda Rios Perez died 5 November after going to the wrong address. Her husband, who was with her when she died, said the suspect opened fire through the door instead of calling police.

Officials said they were delayed in bringing charges because of questions about the state’s “stand your ground” law. Many states have similar laws, which say people are not required to retreat before using deadly force when they are threatened.

Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood said in a news conference on Monday that state law did not allow for Mr Andersen to open fire.

“Based upon the particular evidence and circumstances of this case, we have determined that Curt Andersen’s actions do not fall within the legal protections provided by the Indiana ‘stand your ground’ law,” Eastwood said.

He added that the suspect “did not have the proper information which would allow him to make the determination that he was reasonable in his actions”.

Authorities responded to a call about a possible home invasion in the Indianapolis suburb of Whitestown early on the morning of 5 November.

Mrs Perez was found dead in her husband’s arms on the front porch of the home shortly before 0700 local time (12:00 GMT), according to police.

Police say the cleaners did not appear to have entered the home.

She leaves behind four children, including an infant who is about to turn one-year-old. Her husband says he is trying to bring her body back to her native Guatemala for burial.

Stand-your-ground laws are in place in many US states and most permit an individual to protect themselves with the use of reasonable force, including deadly force, to prevent death or great bodily harm.

Similar incidents have made headlines across the US in recent years.

In 2023, Ralph Yarl, who was then 16, was shot twice after ringing the doorbell of the wrong home in Missouri. Andrew Lester, who was in his 80s, pleaded guilty and died while awaiting sentencing.

In New York, 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis died after being shot upon entering the wrong driveway. The homeowner who shot her is now serving a 25-year sentence.