Indiana Man Released on $25,000 Bail in Shooting โDeath ofโ Guatemalan house โCleaner
ZIONSVILLE, Ind. – A central Indiana man โฃaccused of fatallyโค shooting โขa Guatemalan houseโ cleaner who mistakenly went to his home has โbeen โฃreleased on $25,000 bail. โคJudge Matthew Kincaid set theโค bail โขamountโ for Andrew Andersen on Friday and ordered him to surrender his passport,โ with a juryโฃ trial scheduled to begin March 30, according toโข court records.
The shooting occurredโ when Maria Rรญos, 37, andโ her husband were at โขAndersen’s residence byโค mistake as โpart of โa house cleaning crew. They โwere attempting to open theโข door with a key provided โby their โcompany when andersen allegedly fired a โshot through the door,striking Rรญos โin the head.โ Herโข husband was unharmed. Andersen told investigators he believed someone was attempting to break into his home.
Prosecutors had โrequested a $50,000 bond with house arrest as a condition of release, butโฃ Judge Kincaid set the lower bail amount. Alexander Limontes, anโค attorneyโ representing Rรญos’ family, criticized โthe decision in a statement. “Mariaโ was a hard-working mother and wife who was there for her family, friends โand community every day,” Limontesโ said. “He โwas simply doing his job. For his family, today’s bail hearingโ is another painful reminder of the loss they suffered โandโ the long road to justice ahead of them.”
Rรญos is survived by four children. Her familyโ planned toโฃ return her body to Guatemalaโข onโ Saturday,with aโ funeral scheduled for Sunday in โCabricรกn.
Theโ case is expected to center on โคIndiana’s self-defense law, which permits theโ use of deadly โคforce when individuals reasonably believe they are protecting themselves fromโค unlawfulโค entry into their โขhomes. Policeโข have stated there โคis no evidence Rรญos entered the home before she was shot.
Andrew Andersen’s attorney, Guy Relford, has maintained his client actedโ in self-defense butโ has not provided further public comment. Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood declined to comment on the โcase.
