On the morning of November 5, 2025, Maria Florinda Ríos Pérez—a 32-year-old mother of four and hardworking house cleaner—was shot and killed on the front porch of a home in Whitestown, Indiana. She had arrived at what she believed was a client's address to start her workday, alongside her husband and business partner, Mauricio Velázquez. Before she could even place a key in the door, she was shot.

Maria died in her husband’s arms, just feet away from where their children would later light prayer candles and grieve her loss. She was unarmed, peaceful, and simply trying to do her job. Now, her husband is left to raise their four children alone, including a baby who will grow up without ever knowing his mother.

Police have already said the evidence does not support claims of a home invasion, yet no arrest has been announced. No charges have been filed. The person who pulled the trigger has not been held publicly accountable.

This cannot be how a life ends in America—especially not the life of a mother who was simply doing her job and entered the wrong address by mistake. We cannot allow fear, prejudice, or vigilante violence to become acceptable responses to everyday misunderstandings.

We demand that Whitestown Police Department and the Boone County Prosecutor's Office conduct a full, transparent, and expedited investigation into the shooting death of Maria Florinda Ríos Pérez—and take immediate legal action for any wrongdoing.

We also call on state and local officials to review use-of-force laws and stand-your-ground statutes that may enable unjustified killings like this one. No one should be shot dead on a doorstep while trying to work.

Maria’s family deserves answers. Her children deserve justice. And our communities deserve to know that tragedies like this will not be ignored or brushed aside.

Sign this petition to demand justice for Maria Florinda Ríos Pérez and ensure that her death is not forgotten.

Photo: Jade Jackson/IndyStar