An East Chicago man is on trial this week, charged with allegedly shooting a teen dead who snuck in his apartment to have sex with his daughter.
Robert Allison, 51, is charged with murder and a gun enhancement in the May 29, 2023, shooting death of Christian Ogobomon, 18, of Hammond.
He was originally charged with voluntary manslaughter under sudden heat. Charges were upgraded to murder late last month, filings show.
He claimed it was “dark” and he couldn’t see if the teen was coming at him. He told police he was about 10 feet away.
Deputy Prosecutor Chris Bruno told jurors that Allison walked in his daughter’s bedroom and “hastily” shot Ogobomon once in the chest. There was evidence – including glass shards in his chest – showing Ogobomon was “exiting the room” when he was killed, the prosecutor said.
Defense lawyer Joe Roberts said Allison woke up and didn’t know who was in the apartment. He believed he was protecting his daughter from a possible sexual assault. After he shot Ogobomon, he secured the gun and “tried to help” him.
“He didn’t try to hide from this,” the lawyer said.
Allison will testify this week, Roberts told jurors. He was trained to use firearms and had past “security” jobs.
Ogobomon worked for Amazon and was two days away from graduating high school when he was killed, his mother testified Tuesday. He planned to go to college.
Police were called to Allison’s apartment on the 3700 block of Euclid Avenue, where they found Ogbomon shot on a balcony.
Medics pronounced him dead at the scene. His death was ruled a homicide.
The daughter said she had met Ogbomon on Instagram and invited him over for the second time. They watched a TV show, then had sex.
Allison yelled for her. He eventually went into the room, saw Ogbomon, and shot him in front of her, according to court records.
He later claimed he thought Ogbomon had “broken into his house.”
Another relative home said he heard “screaming” then a “boom,” before Allison told him to call 911.