An intense scene occurred last week as eyewitnesses claimed that members of an armed gang took over an entire apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado.
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The terrifying incident was caught on video.
NEW VIDEO armed group at troubled #aurora #colorado apartment complex now home to many migrants. Councilmember @DaniJurinsky says gangs have taken over the complex @KDVR @AuroraPD pic.twitter.com/J1uie8Y2M6
— Vicente Arenas (@vicentearenastv) August 28, 2024
According to media outlet Fox 31, the video shows five armed gang members entering one of The Edge at Lowery apartment complex’s buildings on Wednesday, Aug. 28. The owner of the video stated the clip was shot just before a shootout at the complex, which left one person injured. Several nearby vehicles were also damaged by the gunfire.
The Colorado apartment complex is notably a “hotspot” for gang crime.
The owners of the video, Cindy and Edward Romero, moved out of their apartment following the incident. “It’s been a nightmare and I can’t wait to get out of here,” Cindy shared with Fox 31. She also showed the media outlet the multiple locks that line her front door, demonstrating how unsafe the apartment complex is for her and her husband.
“Every day when we come home,” Cindy explained, showing the locks. “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.”
Couple Unable to Move Out of the Crime-Filled Colorado Apartment Complex
The couple’s vehicle was also damaged in a shootout that happened in early August. They also stated they weren’t able to move out sooner due to the lack of help.
“We couldn’t get any help. We tried reaching out to resources,” Edward revealed. “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 [the media].”
Aurora City Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky addressed the situaiton. She helped the couple move out of the complex and find a new place to live. Aurora Police Department also released a statement. The law enforcement officials confirmed the men involved in the shootout were members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
“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.”
The police department said it has been collecting evidence to show the gang is connected to crimes in the area. “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,” the department added. “And not remain silent victims.”
Police noted the video is evidence and is part of the ongoing investigation.