Tenants of troubled Colorado apartments speak out against Venezuelan gang rumors

Residents of a Colorado apartment complex are pushing back against the story that their building is being taken over by a Venezuelan gang.

Tenants at the Edge At Lowry apartments in Aurora, Colorado, held a press conference Tuesday, denying claims that gangs have taken over the complex. Videos of the gang, Tren de Aragua, allegedly breaking into apartments have been shared around the world.

Many tenants tell Scripps News Denver that they do not believe the gang is present in the complex. They said the most significant problems they have faced are the uninhabitable conditions of the building they live in, a story Scripps News Denver covered a few weeks ago.

A tenant from Venezuela says he now feels targeted since the rumors started circulating.

“I’m afraid to go outside. They accuse all of us in the complex of being gang members, and that’s completely untrue,” tenant Oscar Rojas said in Spanish. “It’s completely untrue. There are good people here, families. There will always be crime everywhere.”

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Despite Scripps News Denver’s efforts to get answers from authorities, there was little context surrounding the viral videos.

Perhaps adding to the panic is a Facebook post from Mayor Mike Coffman, who called for an emergency order to evacuate apartment buildings linked to Venezuelan gang activity, calling the buildings a “criminal nuisance.”

On Monday, Aurora and Coffman police visited the Edge at Lowry Apartments and said they did not find anyone with an outstanding arrest warrant or other criminal activity during a search of the apartment complex.

Tenants are most concerned about being evicted from their homes and having nowhere to go.

“There was fear that we would be evicted,” said resident Yusmelis Carrillo, who lives in the complex with her husband and young children.

Carillo added that she felt uncomfortable as several cars drove past the area and people walked onto the property, often insulting residents.

“Yesterday an American drove by with a flag and insulted the people here,” she said in Spanish.

“People of all nationalities come and take pictures,” Rojas added.

A spokesperson for the city of Aurora shared the following statement on Tuesday:

The city is trying to work with all parties involved, which will impact any legal process and timing. An emergency injunction is just one of many considerations at this time. There will be no official court filings until at least after the meeting has taken place.

The City of Aurora is addressing public safety concerns at these problem buildings, making arrests and proactively policing them. State law is clear about a homeowner’s responsibility to address health hazards and code violations in the apartment buildings they own. We will continue to aggressively pursue a solution to address the poor conditions that affect residents.

This story was originally published by Kristian Lopez on Scripps News Denver.

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