⚖️ The Whitestown Case: Limits of Self-Defense
- Korrine Clayton
- 1 day ago
- 1 min read
In early November 2025, homeowner Curt Andersen was asleep when he was disturbed by noise at his front door. The cause was a house cleaner, Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velazquez, who had accidentally arrived at the wrong address and was trying to unlock the door with a key intended for the house she believed she was supposed to clean.
The homeowner grabbed a gun and, within about a minute of hearing the noise, fired a single shot through the closed door, fatally wounding the cleaner.
The Law: Indiana's law is one of the broadest. It allows the use of deadly force without a duty to retreat if a person reasonably believes it is necessary to stop an unlawful entry into their home.
The Charge: The prosecutor decided to charge the homeowner with voluntary manslaughter (a Level 2 felony).
The Conflict: The defense argues the homeowner was protected by the Stand Your Ground law, believing the force was justified to prevent an unlawful intrusion. The prosecution argues the protection does not apply because, given the circumstances (no evidence of forcible entry, quick reaction time), the homeowner could not have reasonably believed that deadly force was necessary to prevent serious bodily injury or a forcible felony. The core legal battle will be over the word "reasonably".
This will be an intriguing case, similar to the Florida case that became a documentary, The Perfect Neighbor.