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Man who attacked real estate agent during Commerce City open house sentenced to prison

Posted at 7:37 AM, Jan 13, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-13 09:37:57-05

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — A 44-year-old man who admitted to attempting to rob a real estate agent during an open house in Commerce City has been sentenced to prison.

The man, Ernest Robert Chrisman, was sentenced on Friday to 16 years in prison for attempted aggravated robbery.

The crime occurred on Aug. 4, 2019. On that day around 11:30 a.m., Chrisman showed up an an open house at the Aspen Hills Condominiums, located at 14700 S. 104th Ave. He walked into the home and asked the real estate agent to see the home, according to the 17th District Attorney's Office. She brought him up to the second floor master bedroom and Chrisman cornered her, pulled out a knife and bear mace, and demanded the woman take off her ring and get in the closet, according to the district attorney's office.

The real estate agent grabbed her firearm from her ankle holster and Chrisman sprayed her with the mace. She fired at him, and he fled from the condo. The district attorney's office said he left behind his knife and a brochure about the property, which had his fingerprints on it.

Chrismas was arrested on Aug. 8, a few days after the crime. He was charged with two counts of first-degree burglary, attempted aggravated robbery and attempted kidnapping.

Chrisman pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon on Friday. He was then sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Patrick Freeman said Chrisman said he planned the robbery because he needed money.

“He chose to prey on a woman holding an open house for her real estate business and threatened her with a knife,” Freeman said in court. “This is going to leave a lasting scar. She was lucky that she wasn’t hurt worse than she was. This was an incredibly violent and premeditated crime which is reflected in his sentence.”