Man Arrested in Alleged Attack at Open House in Colorado

After a five-day manhunt, police in Commerce City, Colo., arrested a man who allegedly attacked a real estate agent at an open house and fled after the agent fired a bullet at him with her handgun. Ernest Robert Chrisman, 43, was arrested Thursday and charged with first-degree burglary, aggravated robbery, and second-degree assault.

The agent, Dawna Hetzler, CRS, of New Dawn Realty in Greenwood Village, Colo., spoke to reporters about the incident. Hetzler said she was preparing for an open house at a condo when a man who expressed interest in the property knocked on the front door. “He was asking the right questions about how long it had been on the market,” she told FOX News. “We talked about loans and what he might qualify for.”

Hetzler showed the man the kitchen and living room areas, and he then requested to see the upstairs. When they were in the master bedroom, Hetzler says, the man pulled a knife out and showed a six-inch rope that had bear spray tethered to it. “He wanted me to take off my ring and go in the closet,” she says. “And at that point, his intentions were deadly, in my opinion.”

Hetzler took out her handgun, which she is licensed to carry. In response, the man sprayed her with bear spray. “At that point, I could not see,” she told Fox News. “My skin was burning, my eyes were on fire—and so I fired.”

Police have said it’s unclear if the bullet struck the man. Chrisman was booked into the Adams County Detention Facility.

Original posting of this article can be found on NAR’s website by clicking here.

For a list of safety tips for REALTORS® and a list of safety tips to share with sellers, please visit CAR’s website by clicking here.