Indiana man charged in fatal shooting of cleaning woman who accidentally went to wrong home
Stock image of police lights. Douglas Sacha/Getty Images
(WHITESTOWN, Ind.) — An Indiana man has been charged with voluntary manslaughter for fatally shooting a cleaning woman who mistakenly went to the wrong home, prosecutors announced Monday, nearly two weeks after the mother of four was killed.
The Boone County prosecutor, Kent Eastwood, said the decision to file the charge follows a “comprehensive examination,” in which his office determined the man’s actions did not fall under the legal protections provided by the Indiana Stand Your Ground law.
The shooting occurred the morning of Nov. 5 in a subdivision of Whitestown, located approximately 20 miles northwest of Indianapolis, police said.
Officers responding to a 911 call reporting a possible home invasion shortly before 7 a.m. found the woman dead on the front porch of the residence with a gunshot wound, Whitestown police said.
The gun had been fired from inside by a resident of the home, police said.
Police later determined the woman was part of a cleaning crew that had mistakenly arrived at the wrong address, and that “the facts gathered do not support” that a home invasion occurred.
The Boone County Coroner’s Office identified the shooting victim as 32-year-old Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez of Indianapolis. She died from a gunshot wound to the head, the coroner’s office said.
Velasquez’s husband told Indianapolis ABC affiliate WRTV that they had been cleaning homes for seven months and he was with her when she was shot.
“I never thought it was a shot, but I realized when my wife took two steps back, she looked like she’d been hit in the head,” her husband, Mauricio Velasquez, told WRTV in Spanish.
“She fell into my arms, and I saw the blood. It went everywhere,” he told the station.
They have four children, the youngest 11 months old, according to WRTV.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — Federal officials on Thursday morning revealed more details about the attack that left two National Guard members in critical condition in an apparent “targeted shooting” near the White House.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor for the nation’s capital, identified the two wounded members of the West Virginia National Guard as Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24.
The shooting took place around 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday near the Farragut West Metro station.
Pirro said the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, allegedly drove cross-country from Washington state to target the guard members.
She said the suspect, an Afghan national, ambushed the guard members, opening fire with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver.
“One guardsman is struck, goes down, and then the shooter leans over and strikes the guardsman again. Another guardsman is struck several times,” she said.
Other National GuaU.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, one of two West Virginia National Guard members wounded in a “targeted shooting” near the White House on Wednesday, has died, President Donald Trump said Thursday.
Trump made the announcement as he made calls to the U.S. military on Thanksgiving.
Beckstrom, 20, was a “highly respected, young, magnificent person,” Trump said. “She’s just passed away. She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her. It’s just happened.”
The other wounded National Guard member, Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition.
“The other young man is fighting for his life,” Trump said. “He’s in very bad shape. He’s fighting for his life.”
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor for the nation’s capital, posted a statement on social media following Trump’s announcement.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom of the National Guard — a hero who volunteered to serve DC on Thanksgiving for people she never met and gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Pirro said in the post. “May she rest in peace. It is now time to avenge her death and secure justice.”
Earlier Thursday, federal officials revealed more details about the attack and the suspected shooter.
The shooting took place around 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday near the Farragut West Metro station.
Pirro said the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, drove from Washington state to target the guard members.
She said the suspect, an Afghan national, ambushed the Guard members, opening fire with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver.
“One Guardsman is struck, goes down, and then the shooter leans over and strikes the Guardsman again. Another Guardsman is struck several times,” she said.
Other National Guard members quickly responded and helped subdue the suspected shooter after he was shot by a Guard member, she said.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey went to D.C. Wednesday night and visited the Guard members in the hospital overnight, according to his office.
“I’m asking every West Virginian to pray for our two Guardsmen as their families, friends, and neighbors struggle with this unspeakable tragedy,” Morrisey said in a statement.
The governor also met with the president to discuss the investigation.
“These facts demand a comprehensive investigation so we can bring those responsible to justice. We will continue working closely with federal authorities to get clear answers,” Morrisey said.
In an interview on Thanksgiving, Morrisey told ABC News’ D.C. affiliate WJLA that the two Guardsmen had volunteered for their mission in the nation’s capital.
The governor said he spoke to Trump and top administration officials the night of the shooting about the ongoing investigation.
“They want to have a complete investigation, and they want to get to the bottom of this. I think people want justice, people want accountability, and that is a theme that’s shared throughout the highest levels of the administration,” Morrisey said. “And I think everyone’s sickened to death by what happens, but now we have to show respect and go through the judicial process, uphold the rule of law and make sure at the end, there’s accountability for what’s been done.”
Morrisey said the West Virginia National Guard takes pride in its mission in Washington.
“The Guardsmen that are here, they all volunteered for the mission. These are people that wanted to serve because they know that the mission was good,” he said. “People were working to reduce crime. Well, they were succeeding in their mission. One of the talks I had with the president was about that very point that their mission was succeeding. The Guard knew that that was happening. So this is something that matters a lot. It’s our nation’s capital. So people were very enthusiastic about it.”
Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard II, commander of the D.C. National Guard, was emotional as he talked about the struggles Beckstrom and Wolfe’s families were facing as other Americans celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday.
“Regardless of the outcome, we know that their lives, their family lot, their families, lives are all changed forever because one person decided to do this horrific and evil thing,” he said.
Pirro said that the suspect will be charged with several counts, including assault with intent to harm and criminal possession of a weapon. She noted that those charges could change depending on the fate of the wounded guard members.
The suspect’s motive is still unclear, according to officials, speaking at a news conference.
FBI Director Kash Patel told reporters the probe is “ongoing investigation of terrorism.”
Investigators searched the suspect’s Bellingham, Washington, home and interviewed tenants for more information, according to Patel. Patel also said interviews were taking place in San Diego, but declined to provide further details.
He noted that the FBI received confirmation from the Department of Defense and CIA “that the subject had a relationship in Afghanistan with partner forces.”
“We are fully investigating that aspect of his background as well, to include any known associates that are either overseas or here in the United States of America,” Patel said.
Lakanwal, who Pirro said had a wife and five children, came to the United States in 2021 under the Biden administration, Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement Wednesday evening.
He applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted that status in April of this year, under the Trump administration, according to three law enforcement sources.
“He previously worked with the USG, including CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar that ended in 2021 following the withdrawal from Afghanistan,” CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement.
“[The suspect] would have been vetted against classified and unclassified holdings when he came here and as part of the asylum process,” said ABC News contributor John Cohen, former head of intelligence for the Department of Homeland Security and a former U.S. counterterrorism coordinator.
“He was actually granted asylum under the Trump administration … This does raise the question whether the administration is focusing enough on terrorism threats versus civil immigration enforcement.”
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are spending Thanksgiving at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and were not at the White House during the time of the incident.
Trump released a video statement Wednesday night calling the shooting an “act of hatred,” and ordering the reexamination of all Afghan immigrants admitted under the Biden administration.
He also ordered an additional 500 Guard troops to be deployed to D.C. Trump planned on making a traditional phone call to members of the military Thursday night, but it was not immediately known if he would speak to any National Guard members.
The National Guard was deployed to the nation’s capital as part of Trump’s federal takeover of the city and crime crackdown in August. According to the most recent update, there were 2,188 Guard personnel assigned to D.C.
On Tuesday, during the traditional turkey pardoning at the White House, Trump touted his administration’s takeover of D.C. streets. He said it was “one of our most unsafe places anywhere in the United States. It is now considered a totally safe city.”
“You could walk down any street in Washington and you’re going to be just fine. And I want to thank the National Guard. I want to thank you for the job you’ve done here is incredible,” Trump said at the event.
ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway and Alex Presha contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Sean “Diddy” Combs arrived Thursday at the New Jersey federal prison where he will serve his four-year sentence for transportation for the purposes of prostitution, multiple sources told ABC News.
Combs was transferred this morning from MDC-Brooklyn to FCI Fort Dix, the facility his legal team requested because it offers a special drug treatment problem that, if completed successfully, could knock time off his sentence.
Combs is not being housed in the prison’s general population but in the special drug program unit, the sources said.
Meanwhile, Combs is asking a federal appeals court to expedite his appeal of his conviction on two prostitution-related charges, arguing he could finish his prison sentence before his appeal is heard on a normal timetable.
Combs is appealing his conviction and his sentence.
“An expedited briefing and argument schedule is critical to ensure that Mr. Combs’s appeal of his sentence does not become moot while the appeal is pending,” defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro said in a new filing.
She said Combs has already served approximately 14 months of his 50-month sentence, and it is unclear how much additional time he will ultimately serve due to his potential eligibility for reductions.
Earlier this week, the Bureau of Prisons posted what the agency believes to be Combs’ release date from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, which is set for May 8, 2028 — although it can change.
Combs was convicted of two counts of transportation for the purposes of prostitution after an eight-week trial in July. The jury acquitted Combs of more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges he faced.
In his appeal, Combs plans to argue to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that prosecutors misapplied the law.
“Sean’s appeal will challenge the unfair use of the Mann Act, an infamous statute with a sordid history, to prosecute him for sex with consenting adults,” Shapiro said.
He has said his counts of conviction should not apply because he had no financial motive for transporting male escorts. Instead he said he wanted to watch them have sex with his girlfriends.
Security video of Morgan Geyser. (Madison Police Department)
(POSEN, Ill.) — When she was captured on Sunday night, nearly 200 miles from the Wisconsin group home she allegedly fled, “Slender Man” stabbing assailant Morgan Geyser told officers who asked for her identity to “just Google” her, according to Illinois police.
The 22-year-old Geyser, who in 2014 stabbed a friend 19 times to appease the fictional character “Slender Man,” was located on Sunday after she allegedly cut off her Department of Corrections monitoring bracelet and left the group home where she had been a resident, authorities said.
Geyser was taken into custody in Posen, Illinois, police confirmed to ABC News.
Geyser was taken into custody at a truck stop in Posen with a 42-year-old man she had traveled across state lines with, according to a Posen Police Department statement released on Monday. Police found the pair sleeping on a sidewalk, according to the statement.
“The female repeatedly refused to provide her real name and initially gave a false one,” the police said. “After continued attempts to identify her, she finally stated that she didn’t want to tell officers who she was because she had ‘done something really bad,’ and suggested that officers could ‘just Google’ her name.”
Once she provided her real name, officers learned she was wanted for escape in Wisconsin. Both Geyser and her male companion were detained without incident, police said.
Geyser’s traveling companion, whose name was not released, was charged with criminal trespassing and obstructing identification, according to police. He has since been released and authorities did not provide information on his involvement in Geyser’s escape from the group home.
Posen Police said the pair took a bus to Posen from Wisconsin. Posen is about 25 minutes south of Chicago.
Before being located, Geyser was last seen in Madison, Wisconsin, around 8 p.m. on Saturday with an adult acquaintance, Madison police said in a statement posted on social media, which included a recent surveillance image of Geyser.
“Geyser will be held until transfer to Cook County for an extradition hearing at 26th and California,” the department said, referring by address to the Criminal Court Administration Building in Chicago. It was not immediately clear when that hearing would take place.
Prior to her daughter’s arrest, Geyser’s mother, Angie Geyser, said in a statement to ABC News on Sunday, “If you see Morgan, please call the police. Morgan, if you can see this, we love you and just want to know you are safe.”
Geyser’s attorney, Tony Cotton, also released a statement on Sunday to ABC News asking Geyser to turn herself in, saying it was “in her best interest” to do so.
In March, Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Michael Bohren ordered that Geyser be released from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute and sent to a group home after three psychologists testified she was prepared for supervised release.
As part of her release, Geyser was ordered to wear a monitoring bracelet.
Geyser, according to police, cut off her Department of Corrections monitoring bracelet and left the group home sometime Saturday night.
Geyser and another girl, Anissa Weier, were charged as adults and pleaded guilty to stabbing a classmate, Payton Leutner, 19 times in 2014, when they and the victim were 12 years old. Both Geyser’s and Weier’s guilty pleas were later vacated when they were found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. Both of them were subsequently sent to psychiatric institutions.
“Payton Leutner and her family are aware of the most recent situation regarding Morgan Geyser,” a spokesperson for the Leutner family said in a statement to ABC News. “Payton and her family are safe and are working closely with local law enforcement to ensure their continued safety.”
“The family would like to thank all of the law enforcement entities involved in the efforts to apprehend Morgan,” the statement continued. “The Leutner family also wish to thank the outpouring of support from family, friends, and well-wishers who have contacted them during this difficult time.”
In January, Judge Bohren ordered the state Department of Health Services to come up with a plan for Geyser’s supervised release.
Geyser was transferred in March from the Winnebago Mental Health facility to a group home despite concerns raised by prosecutors, who alleged she had “violent” communication with a man outside the facility and had read a book in the facility with “themes of sexual sadism and murder.”
In 2014, Geyser and Weier lured their friend, Payton Leutner, then 12, to the woods in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where Geyser stabbed Leutner while Weier watched.
Geyser and Weier left Leutner alone in the woods. Injured and bleeding, Leutner pulled herself to safety and was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Leutner survived the attack that captured headlines worldwide after Geyser and Weier claimed that the stabbing was intended to please “Slender Man,” a faceless, fictional internet-based character that garnered a cult-like following.
Geyser pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted intentional homicide and was sent to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute in 2018. Geyser was later found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, and was sentenced to up to 40 years in a psychiatric institution.
