Cabrican, Guatemala - The body of María Florinda Ríos Pérez, a 32-year-old Guatemalan mother of four, arrived in Guatemala City on Sunday and is being transported to her hometown of Cabrican following a fatal shooting in Whitestown, Indiana, on November 5. Her death has sparked grief in her community and renewed focus on the dangers faced by Guatemalan migrants seeking opportunity in the United States.
Ríos Pérez was fatally shot through a closed door by Curt Andersen, 32, of Whitestown, while she and her husband were working as part of a house cleaning crew. According to court documents, the couple mistakenly went to Andersen’s residence and were attempting to unlock the door with a key provided by their company when Andersen fired a shot, striking Ríos Pérez in the head. The incident underscores the vulnerabilities faced by migrant workers and the potential for tragic consequences stemming from miscommunication and fear. Andersen has been charged with voluntary manslaughter and is scheduled to stand trial on March 30, after a judge set bail at $25,000 on Friday and ordered him to surrender his passport.
Family members received Ríos Pérez’s body at the capital’s international airport late Sunday and are transporting her to Cabrican, a town of primarily Mam Indigenous Mayan peopel located approximately 125 miles (200 kilometers) west of Guatemala City. In Cabrican, preparations are underway for a wake and burial, with community members cooking food and adorning an altar at her parents’ home with flowers and pictures.
Ríos Pérez left Guatemala two years ago with two of her daughters, utilizing a smuggler to reach the U.S. after being told adults with children were being permitted entry, according to her sister, Yeimy Paola Ríos Pérez, 19. the family relocated to Indiana, where five of her siblings and her father already resided.
“She was really happy because ther was only a week until her son turned 1 year old and she was getting everything ready to celebrate the boy’s birthday,” Yeimy recalled of her last conversation with her sister.
Andersen told investigators he heard someone attempting to unlock his front door and believed someone was trying to break into his home.The case remains ongoing as the Guatemalan community mourns the loss of a mother and daughter.