Aurora, Colorado Apartment Complex to Close Under Emergency Court Order
A Colorado apartment complex where a notorious Venezuelan gang was caught on video entering a unit last summer is expected to close in about a month under an emergency court order. The city of Aurora had pursued a lawsuit to declare all but one building at the complex a criminal nuisance, citing a “breaking point” following the violent kidnapping and assault of two residents last month.
The city’s request for a court order to close the property was granted ahead of a court hearing on Monday. Lawyers for the property owner, CBZ Management, dispute the city’s allegations and have asked for a trial to decide the lawsuit. However, the process to close the building will continue as the lawsuit plays out in court.
The apartment complex has been plagued by crime, with armed members of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, entering a unit and a fatal shooting occurring outside the complex. Four of the six men shown in the August video have since been arrested. The city is working with surrounding authorities to provide relocation assistance to residents in 52 affected apartments.
The closure of the complex is expected to take place in about a month, with the city citing the need to address the “criminal element” that has taken over the property. The city’s police chief believes that the complex has become a hub for crime due to a lack of management and oversight by the property’s owners.