Video shows group of men carrying guns at troubled Aurora apartment complex
AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — New video has surfaced showing alleged gang violence at an apartment complex home to some migrants in Aurora.
The video shows the group entering an apartment building with several weapons and then making their way through a door. The scenario took place at The Edge at Lowry apartments, which became a reported crime hotspot in that city.
In the video, men can be seen walking up a stairwell carrying weapons. They can be heard speaking Spanish.
The owners of the video said it was taken shortly before a shootout at the complex that left one person seriously injured. Several vehicles were also damaged by gunfire.
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All of the people appear to be carrying rifles and handguns, except for one of the men who can be seen talking on a cell phone. They all then gather around a door and go in.
Another video clip shows what appears to be two men forcing a door open. But what or who they were searching for is not clear.
The video was shot in the building where Cindy and Edward Romero lived until Wednesday. FOX31 caught up with them as they loaded up their stuff and moved out.
“It’s been a nightmare and I can’t wait to get out of here,” former resident Cindy Romero said.
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Cindy showed us a series of locks lining her front door from top to bottom and demonstrated the moves she goes through to try and stay safe.
“Every day when we come home, we have to do this every time we go outside to take out the garbage. Every time we go to bed at night. We have to keep like this so that nobody can kick in the door,” Cindy said.
The couple’s car was riddled with bullets after a shootout at the complex earlier this month.
The Romeros say the trouble started when a large number of migrants began moving in.
They had not been able to move out for different reasons.
“We couldn’t get any help. We tried reaching out to resources, but they told us since it was not a condemned building we would have to wait till that was the issue but we didn’t want to wait for that. The only help I got was after talking to you,” Edward Romero said.
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FOX31 showed Aurora City Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky the video, who helped the couple move out Wednesday and find a new place to live.
“The city nonprofits have lined up to help the migrants that have come here but nobody is helping the Americans that are trapped in these apartment complexes,” Jurinsky said.
Jurinsky said the complex had been overrun by a Venezuelan gang.
“This isn’t just Americans. Other Venezuelans are being extorted by this gang,” Jurinsky said.
The Romeros told FOX31 that other people living at the complex had been asking when they’d be moving out. While on scene, FOX31 was told other people were moving in and taking over the Romeros’ unit.
Jurinsky told FOX31 she also helped another person find a place to live and move out of the Edge.
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Aurora police released a statement Wednesday afternoon:
The city and Aurora Police Department, as we previously stated, established a special task force in collaboration with other local, state and federal partners to specifically address concerns about Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) and other criminal activity affecting migrant communities. We are grateful that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), a valuable federal partner, has acknowledged its ongoing work into TdA across the metro and appreciate the additional resources it provides to combat this issue.
We are aware that components of TdA are operating in Aurora. APD has been increasingly collecting evidence to show the gang is connected to crimes in the area. However, as we have said previously and as the DEA similarly stated, it would be improper at this time for the city and APD to make any conclusory statements about specific incidents or provide details about law enforcement strategy and operations.
Based on our initial investigative work, we believe reports of TdA influence in Aurora are isolated. We urge all community members, including members of our migrant communities, to please report crimes committed against them to their local law enforcement agencies and not remain silent victims. Crime victims can report crimes anonymously by calling Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720.913.STOP (7867).
As always, information could change as the investigations continue at the local, state and federal levels.
Aurora Police Department
Aurora police also said they have “been in possession of” and “have seized evidence seen in the video.” Police said it is part of an “ongoing investigation.”
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