A DeLand man who barged into his ex-girlfriend's home in a ski mask with a gun, only to be shot and caught a short time later, has been ordered to spend the next quarter century in state prison.
Circuit Judge Karen Foxman on Monday sentenced 36-year-old Christopher Allen to 25 years in state prison followed by 10 years of probation in Volusia County Circuit Court. Prosecutors said Allen forced his way into his former girlfriend's home while masked and armed, an episode that ended with him wounded inside the house and arrested not far away.
According to a Facebook post by the Office of the State Attorney, Seventh Judicial Circuit, Allen entered no contest pleas to burglary of a dwelling while armed with a firearm and wearing a mask, two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm while wearing a mask, tampering with physical evidence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted in-state felon. The post notes that Assistant State Attorney Nicholas Kramperth prosecuted the case and that Judge Foxman handed down the sentence. State Attorney R.J. Larizza is quoted as calling the result "another violent felon off our streets for a quarter century."
How the break-in unfolded
Police say Allen showed up at a DeLand home in the 100 block of Voorhis Street on Dec. 1, 2025, wearing a ski mask and carrying a gun, then tricked the woman inside into opening the back door before forcing his way in, according to WESH. A man in the home - identified as the woman's ex-husband - grabbed a firearm and ordered the intruder to drop his weapon. When Allen refused, the homeowner fired once and hit him, WESH reported. The wounded suspect ran off and was later found in a wooded area a few blocks away and airlifted for treatment, police said.
Arrest and evidence
Volusia County deputies and conservation officers said Allen fled the scene and ditched a gun and ski mask along the way before they tracked him down. Volusia Sheriff's Air One and Florida Fish and Wildlife K-9 teams helped locate and arrest him near the home, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Authorities later charged him with armed burglary, multiple counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, tampering with physical evidence, and related felonies tied to the Dec. 1 incident. Local reporting said the homeowner who fired the shot was not charged.
Courtroom outcome
In court this week, Allen entered no-contest pleas to the charges outlined by prosecutors and received a 25-year prison term followed by a decade of probation, the State Attorney's Office said in its Facebook post. The post also notes that the DeLand Police Department led the investigation with help from the Volusia Sheriff's Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife conservation officers, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and that Assistant State Attorney Nicholas Kramperth handled the prosecution.
Legal particulars
Allen's convictions include burglary of a dwelling while armed and masked and two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm while masked, along with the other offenses listed by prosecutors. Those crimes carry substantial penalties under Florida law. Prosecutors told the State Attorney's Office they viewed the combination of the firearm, the ski mask, and an alleged stalking history as aggravating factors that justified the lengthy sentence.
