Man gets prison time for killing his girlfriend in Gilbert
Preston Allen
GILBERT, Ariz. - A man has been sentenced to nearly 40 years in prison for shooting and killing his girlfriend at a Gilbert townhome, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said.
Preston Allen, 31, received a 38-year sentence for second-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
On Oct. 25, 2023, authorities say Allen shot 31-year-old Michelle Golden over a dozen times inside their home near Gilbert and Guadalupe Roads.
Four children between 8 and 11 years old were home at the time of the shooting. MCAO says Allen shot at one of the children. The child was not hurt.
"The minor victim told a forensic interviewer he covered himself and ‘squirmed’ around in the bed to avoid being hit by bullets," MCAO said.
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Police say Allen fled the scene after the shooting. He was arrested a short time later in Mesa.
Investigators say the shooting stemmed from a domestic violence incident and Golden filed a restraining order against Allen months before the shooting.
"On the night of the killing, these children were in their rooms knowing their mother was being killed just a few feet away," Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said. "The trauma these four children will have to live with will forever impact their lives."