‘I strongly believe that the best course of action is to shut these buildings down and make sure that this never happens again’
bySusan Greene, Sentinel Reporter in Residence
AURORA | Aurora’s mayor said in a social media post Friday afternoon that the city will seek an “emergency” court order to shut down and clear apartment buildings that he and a fellow city council member suggest have been overrun by Venezuelan gang members.
The Sentinel was not able to immediately confirm the assertion with city staffers. We will update this story as it unfolds.
As Mayor Mike Coffman told it on his Facebook page, the Aurora City Attorney’s office is preparing documents to request an emergency order from municipal court declaring an undisclosed number of properties a “criminal nuisance.”
“This will require a municipal judge to issue the order with the goal of getting these properties back under the control of the property owners,” he wrote.
Coffman did not say when the city would seek the emergency order, nor when or where it might be enforced. If it indeed happens, it could displace hundreds of renters, including recent Venezuelan migrants.
Late Friday, city officials released a video with interim Police Chief Heather Morris, specifically countering claims made by Coffman and other city lawmaker about utter chaos and crime inside an apartment on East 12th Avenue and Dallas Street.
“What we’re learning out here is that gang members definitely have not taken over this complex,” Morris said.
Aurora city officials on Aug. 13 shuttered a 98-unit apartment complex at 1568 Nome St. in northwest Aurora for what politicians first said was activity by a Venezuelan gang called Tren de Aragua, or TdA, and city staffers countered were building code violations. A few hundred tenants of the building, many of whom Venezuelans migrants with small children, had to move out of the complex –most to hotels paid for by the city through the end of the month on Saturday.
A principal for the company that owns the complex, Nome Partners LLC, and the company’s public-relations agent told the Sentinel that TdA had effectively overrun the buildings there. They said they had been pushing Aurora Police since September to help boot out people they claimed are members of the gang who had been squatting in the complex and threatening tenants and employees.
City staffers countered the Nome Street building was shuttered for different reasons – more than two years of neglect and mismanagement that led to public safety and health violations. City manager officials provided extensive city and court records documenting consistent and widespread rat, mice and co*ckroach infections, piles of garbage, dangerous electrical and plumbing issues among other health and safety problems they say went unaddressed by the owners and their property management company, CBZ Management, for too long.
Coffman’s post on Friday suggests the city is now seeking to evacuate and close other buildings owned by the same company for gang-related reasons.
“I strongly believe that the best course of action is to shut these buildings down and make sure that this never happens again,” he wrote.
For the past six days, most messaging about Aurora’s alleged gang infestation has been coming from politicians with anti-immigrant leanings. Coffman has been outspoken about his discontent that thousands of Venezuelan migrants fleeing poverty and corruption in their home country have settled in Aurora. And Council Member Danielle Jurinksy has been warning for weeks that TdA members are violently overrunning swaths of the city. Her claims, some of which are not substantiated, have fueled coverage on Fox News and hateful anti-immigrant chatter on right-wing social media.
Aurora Police Department has been curiously quiet about the picture council members paint about gang activity and its scope. And Gov. Jared Police criticized Coffman and Jurinsky for unnecessarily fueling public panic about isolated incidents.
“He really hopes that the city council members in charge stop trashing their own city when they are supposed to keep it safe,” Polis’ spokesperson Shelby Wieman said Thursday.
City spokesman Ryan Luby said in a statement late Friday that a “documented member” of TdA, 22-year-old Jhonardy Jose Pacheco-Chirino – also known as “Cookie” or “Galleta” –has been arrested in connection to a July 28 shooting and is in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It is unclear, as conservative media outlets and pundits have claimed, if he is a leader of the gang.
“Yes, we are concerned that there is a small Tren de Aragua (TdA) presence in Aurora and we have been taking it seriously. We have responded. We have made arrests. We will continue to make arrests,“Luby said.
He went on to emphasize, several times and in several ways, that Venezuelan gang violence has been “isolated to a handful of problem properties alone” and that “Aurora is a safe community.”
He shifted his comments to what city staffers have for weeks been saying is the real cause of potentially needing to shut down apartment complexes.
“We will continue to address the problems that the absentee, out-of-state owners of these properties have allowed to fester unchecked,” he said. “Aurora will aggressively pursue all actions available under city code and criminal statute.“
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21 Comments
Why would I care if lawbreakers are from Venezuela or Virginia? Or that they are brown green or white? Step on my property and you’ll be shot. Wait for the police and they will draw chalk line around your body. Get off your ass and protect youself and your family. Amusing that one’s own cowardice is is fertile ground for any stupid politician, left, right or center
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In all my years in law enforcement, I never saw the police “draw a chalk line” around anyone’s body.
Hey, 1950 called. It wants its cliches back.
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I understand, the truth hurts. You have been selling a service (protection) from at least 1950, that can’t be proven or quantified in any real, measurable way. Of course, the investigation of crime is different story. That is probably what you had in mind. Once I am dead you will investigate the crime and you may be successful. That appears to be a measurable and probably honorable pursuit. I’d rather provide my own protection.
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A new and novel approach to be rid of “Slum Lord” property owners by claiming gangs have taken over the buildings. But who does it really hurt besides low income people who have no represention being forced into the already overflowing streets because society has little sympathy for the naer do well nor the downtrodden. It’s much easier to elliminate that problem by nameing them migrant gangs, illeagles, or other things which seperates US from THEM. They are people who try to live here just as we do. Call them by any name you want, it doesn’t justify the treatment of expultion.
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You have zero concept of self-preservation and self-protection. I’m open to debating this with you and it would be the easiest debate I’ve ever been in.
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My concept would be, under the right circ*mstances, that I would be alive and others dead that threatened me or my property. This probably what you have in mind and we would be in complete agreement.
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When I majored in Journalism, we were taught how to write headlines, as well as complex articles, that didn’t lean a certain way politically. Now a writer -immature journalism graduate who wants to influence – has carte blanche to sway the reader in any way the writer decides. We were taught to report facts and “news” to inform. I resent the editorializing in this paragraph, which may or may not be fact or truth:
“Her claims, some of which are not substantiated, have fueled coverage on Fox News and hateful anti-immigrant chatter on right-wing social media.” I noticed that the writer didn’t say the Governor’s words might not be substantiated or warranted. The Sentinel shouldn’t take one side or another politically. It’s only further encouraging their employees (not real journalists) to continue to sway readers.Reply
Agreed – I write broadcast news, producer (anonymous like I like it,) and although I can skew a word, or a headline in four words or less, it’s hard to skew a story – that’ son the pundit. But my head was ringing with Greene’s words. It’s not that I always recognize the editorializing because I skim a lot, but it rings in my ears and I can here my Professors in my head.
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Well said. The news is only the news, not a platform for personal bias.
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Much agree – too much “editorial” comment is included in to many Sentinel
“stories”Reply
First time I’ve posted or commented. You decided not to publicize my comments below, as it doesn’t fit the editorial stance of the paper.
When I majored in Journalism, we were taught how to write headlines, as well as complex articles, that didn’t lean a certain way politically. Now a writer -immature journalism graduate who wants to influence – has carte blanche to sway the reader in any way the writer decides. We were taught to report facts and “news” to inform. I resent the editorializing in this paragraph, which may or may not be fact or truth:
“Her claims, some of which are not substantiated, have fueled coverage on Fox News and hateful anti-immigrant chatter on right-wing social media.” I noticed that the writer didn’t say the Governor’s words might not be substantiated or warranted. The Sentinel shouldn’t take one side or another politically. It’s only further encouraging their employees (not real journalists) to continue to sway readers.Reply
Lol, your comment was published the first time. Sometimes you have to wait a little for you comment to show. Internet isn’t always instantaneous. No conspiracy dumbledoore
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Lol
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Love how ‘far right’ and ‘conservative’ are mentioned throughout article. How about the quotes from the Hispanic resident of that complex. Quoted in numerous outlets. Residents being terrorized and where is the response? Compassion? Help?
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Which one of your legs is in pain? The left one? Oh the far-right one.
The problem lies in the extremism towards the left causing the right to look extreme. They just admit it openly by calling anything average and ordinary and common ‘far-right’
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Wait a minute. Let’s not forget this guy and his regular weekly omniscient insight on things. DAVE PERRY: Sentinel Editor August 28, 2024 His thoughts… “What “Kami” is referring to is rampant propaganda about a slumlord in Aurora trying to blame his ghastly ghetto projects on Venezuelan immigrants and Tren de Aragua gangs that may have followed them”.
“There has been no credible proof, none, nada, zippo, that TdA gangs had anything to do with running two apartments and maybe more into uninhabitable conditions.”
Whatever you say Dave- its your opinion piece, say what you want. Most of this you stated last week otherwise looks like, feels like, sounds like, “Fake News” aka some unvetted, invented news.
Here is what we are going to find out the Feds have now had to come to grips with reality of the damage of failing miserably at doing their job. Stopping these gangs at the border, the proper place a thousand miles south. That is where we control who’s coming into the US, not up here, where these groups now have splintered and grown out of control. These high up policy makers on the political food chain are watching this and not liking it. It reflects on their own work product, they were told, they have no excuses. They can’t turn it away, and hide it anymore. The city and their years of lacking of strong code enforcement allowed things to ferment till it blew. And now just appearing onto the edge of the radar is 1357 N Helena. Similar to the Nome Street apartment 911 APD dispatch policy, the automatic three officer rule applies on any dispatch to that specific address. These places in the city are so dangerous three-armed officers is the mandatory policy for any dispatch. There are many more besides these. besides these. Yep-safe city all rite.
Somewhere, although we haven’t been told yet, or how much, the Feds and state have sent Aurora a big pile of money. This money will filter through numerous non-profits into resettling people evicted from these apartments. Of course, we won’t hear too much about this as taxpayers are again asked to pay for all this past Gov. bumbling as it pours into non-profits which covers up so much of this almost and perhaps intentional misfeasance.
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This is just Coffman, trump puppet, funded by Koch PAC, trying to stir up fear before the election. Always his playbook.
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Not one mention in this piece of the corrupt socialist dictator under whose regime a third of the population of Venezuela chose to pick up and leave? Do journalists and editors no longer ask or seek to explain the “Why?” As much as we’re led to believe that our border is a magnet, it’s not the root cause for the Venezuelans fleeing.
History will record this as the result of the United States being soft on Maduro.
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Those apartments have been slums for a long time. Did these politicians just see New Jack City? It’s the slum lords that need to be dealt with, not immigrants. I despise the racism. Too bad Coffman is so desperate for publicity. I’m sick of the BS. Northwest Aurora is full of immigrants. From everywhere. Leave us alone.
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Not to worry, those with money and power aren’t likely to give up their slaves. (I’m not) I grew up in the neighborhood and it has, as you stated, been a slum much more than 40 years. Those that can will get out. Those that can’t will always be used by political hucksters on both end of the spectrum. Folks always need someone to clean their toliets or mow the grass and they want it cheap. The trick is to avoid being demonized by some phony politician, while you struggle to pay the bills.
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I agree, Melody. Also from Northwest Aurora with immigrant neighbors who are kind, hard working and caring. Slumlords are rampant here, but going after them doesn’t get you on Fox.
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