Indiana Man Accused of Killing House Cleaner Gets $25,000 Bail, Jury Trial Scheduled for March
A Boone County judge has set a $25,000 bail for an Indiana man accused of killing a Guatemalan immigrant who mistakenly showed up at his home as part of a house cleaning crew. Curt Andersen, 62, is charged with voluntary manslaughter in connection with the November 5th death of Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez.
Andersen was taken into custody on Monday and made his initial appearance in court on Friday, where Judge Matthew Kincaid ordered him to surrender his passport. The judge also scheduled a jury trial for March 30th, according to online court records.
Prosecutors claim that Andersen fired a shot through the door without warning after hearing someone trying to unlock his front door, believing they were an intruder. However, police have stated there is no evidence Rios entered the home before she was shot.
Andersen's defense attorney, Guy Relford, has maintained that his client had every reason to believe his actions were justified under the law. The case promises to test the limits of Indiana's stand-your-ground law, which allows homeowners to use deadly force in self-defense situations they reasonably believe are legitimate.
Rios' family planned to return her body to Guatemala on Saturday and a funeral has been scheduled for Sunday in Cabrican, Guatemala. The case is set to go to trial in March, with the outcome uncertain.
A Boone County judge has set a $25,000 bail for an Indiana man accused of killing a Guatemalan immigrant who mistakenly showed up at his home as part of a house cleaning crew. Curt Andersen, 62, is charged with voluntary manslaughter in connection with the November 5th death of Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez.
Andersen was taken into custody on Monday and made his initial appearance in court on Friday, where Judge Matthew Kincaid ordered him to surrender his passport. The judge also scheduled a jury trial for March 30th, according to online court records.
Prosecutors claim that Andersen fired a shot through the door without warning after hearing someone trying to unlock his front door, believing they were an intruder. However, police have stated there is no evidence Rios entered the home before she was shot.
Andersen's defense attorney, Guy Relford, has maintained that his client had every reason to believe his actions were justified under the law. The case promises to test the limits of Indiana's stand-your-ground law, which allows homeowners to use deadly force in self-defense situations they reasonably believe are legitimate.
Rios' family planned to return her body to Guatemala on Saturday and a funeral has been scheduled for Sunday in Cabrican, Guatemala. The case is set to go to trial in March, with the outcome uncertain.