Despite repeatedly denying that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua has established a significant stronghold in Aurora, Colorado, city officials are now ordering the closure of a notorious apartment complex linked to the violent group, citing ongoing criminal activity.
Five Dallas Partners and its parent company, CBZ Management, received an order from a judge last week to shut down the Edge at Lowry apartment complex.
‘An incredibly problematic complex.’
The order, requested by the city, follows several violent incidents that occurred at the property, including “an armed home invasion involving a stabbing and kidnapping.”
City officials argued that the complex has become “an epicenter for unmitigated violent crimes and property crimes,” citing 60 criminal incidents since September 2023.
The complex was thrown into the center of the nation’s immigration debate in August after a former tenant released a surveillance video showing a group of armed men storming through the property. Another video captured by the tenant showed a man destroying the deadbolt lock on an apartment unit.
Residents have insisted that TDA has taken over the apartment and other complexes in the Aurora area, but local officials have repeatedly denied or downplayed the gang’s influence.
One of the men seen in the surveillance footage was later arrested and admitted to being a TDA gang member.
However, Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain initially reported that the department’s investigation found no gang ties.
“There’s a lot of limitations, a lot of rules, a lot of regulations that relate to identifying someone as a specific gang member or an affiliate of a gang,” Chamberlain said at the time. “Many of these individuals we’re talking about come from a country which does not have a strong relationship with the United States, come from a country that does not have a database that they are going to share.”
During a Monday press conference, city officials detailed their plan to close down the Edge at Lowry.
Chamberlain pointed the blame at the property’s owner for the criminal activity.
“This place is not going to get any better. This place is basically a cancer to the community,” he said. “And we as a group of stakeholders, as community members, as law enforcement, as the city family, decided this is not going to be tolerated in Aurora.”
“The problem is a mismanaged location that allowed this crime to flourish,” Chamberlain declared. “As everybody here knows and as the nation knows, this complex is an incredibly problematic complex.”
City attorney Pete Schulte provided details on Aurora’s closure order.
“We wanted to have the defendants, Five Dallas Partners LLC, have an opportunity to file an answer in this case, which they did on Dec. 30, and as we alluded to in the hearing today, that came out as what we call a ‘general denial,’ which means the defendants are going to require the city, as the plaintiff to prove each and every one of our complaints that we filed in the petition before this property can be closed,” Schulte said.
On December 27, the city filed an emergency petition over the kidnapping incident that occurred earlier that month.
“The police department felt like they really needed to get (the complex) under control, to get a hold of that property because it is being completely unmanaged,” Schulte added.
A judge granted the city’s emergency closure order on January 10.
The owner’s lawyer, Stan Garnett, stated that he is not permitted to comment on the city’s order, the Sentinel Colorado reported.
The city previously closed a different CBZ Management property and is reportedly targeting another, according to the news outlet.
CBZ Management has blamed the government for allowing TDA to gain a foothold in the U.S.
The company wrote in November, “We were the ‘Canary in the coal mine.’ Unfortunately, the priority of government officials was to cover up this inconvenient story. And the priority of many in the media — and Biden-Harris supporters — was to deny any story that could damage their candidate.”
“Despite clear evidence, many still deny the reality of the situation, sometimes using us as scapegoats,” the company wrote in an October post on X. “Yes, gangs did take control of our apartment complexes in Aurora, Colorado, and the government did nothing. That is the real story.”
CBZ Management told Blaze News, “Due to ongoing litigation, we cannot comment right now.”
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News, Crime, Aurora colorado, Aurora, Colorado, Venezuelan gang, Venezuelan migrants, Tren de aragua, Tda, Immigration crisis, Illegal immigration crisis, Immigration, Open borders, Politics
