Aurora, Colorado Judge Orders Emergency Closure of Apartment Complex Overwhelmed by Crime and Migrant Gangs
A judge in Aurora, Colorado, has ordered the emergency closure of the Edge at Lowry apartment complex due to a “threat to public safety,” citing a long string of violent crimes and property crimes committed by migrant gangs, particularly the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang.
The decision came after city officials filed a petition against the apartment complex’s owner, Five Dallas Partners, LLC, citing the complex’s reputation as an “epicenter for unmitigated violent crimes and property crimes.”
Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain noted in an affidavit that the complex has been plagued by a long string of violent crimes, including home invasions, kidnappings, and robberies.
Nine suspected members of the TdA gang were charged in connection with a violent December home invasion, kidnapping, and robbery at the complex, in which two victims were left seriously injured. The gang members allegedly forced their way into an apartment, bound, beat, stabbed, and kidnapped the victims, and stole jewelry from them.
The closure is expected to take several months, and the city has set up alternative housing for the complex’s residents. The decision has been met with criticism from some, who argue that the solution is too harsh and may disproportionately impact the complex’s predominantly low-income and immigrant residents.