Aurora apartment building not taken over by a Venezuelan gang

AURORA, Colorado — The city of Aurora is debunking claims that an Aurora apartment building located near Nome and Colfax has been “taken over” by Venezuelan gangs. 

Issues with the apartment dates back years of poor living conditions with documented issues like rodent infestations, piled up trash, missing windows, sewage backups and water leaks. It’s at the point where the property management group hasn’t paid their water bill. Tenants have faced issues like lack of electricity and heat, according to the city.

The building at the 1500 block of Nome Street is operated by CBZ Management. The city says they have exhausted efforts to work with the property owners and their property management. Despite those efforts, they have failed to address “substantial, longstanding, unresolved” violations and have been uncooperative. 

Code enforcers have taken several photos documenting the ongoing issues. 

With the deteriorating conditions, the Aurora city manager will designate the building as “unsafe for human habitation” under the Aurora city code unless the property owners remedy every documented violation. 

In the event that won’t happen, the city will notify residents on Wednesday. They will have until 8 a.m. on Tuesday to leave the property. After that, the city will shut off the water, board up the building and fence off the entire property. 

The city plans to offer guidance and temporary resources. They are calling on area nonprofits to help tenants with assistance and relocation. City officials “fear that the property owners and managers might not provide for their tenants as the law requires” for relocation. 

While the city doesn’t dismiss that there is a possibility of gang activity occurring, they are looking for a connection, if any. 

“The city and the [Aurora Police Department] are also aware of concerns at the national level that members of a Venezuelan prison gang have arrived in the United States and established organized crime cells in cities throughout the country,” the city said in a statement. “APD leadership shares in those concerns and is actively working with law enforcement agencies across the metro area to conclusively determine if there is a connection between metro criminal activity and a specific group or organization. In the meantime, any such specific activity is immaterial to and separate from the city’s code enforcement actions at the property and the building’s inhabitability.”

Crime at the apartment has increased yearly with 41 crimes in 2022 to 84 crimes in 2023. Through July 31, 2024, 66 crimes have already been reported including robbery, drugs, trespass, sexual assault and aggravated assault. 

The city says what has been said on social media about police officers refusing not to patrol the building is “simply not true.” APD issued a ‘specified crime property determination’ notice in 2023, declaring 1568 Nome a “criminal nuisance property,” which means increased patrols. 

The city of Aurora has been pursuing legal action against Zev Baumgarten, the property manager of CBZ Management. Baumgarten’s trial is expected to begin in Aurora Municipal Court on August 27. As part of different cases, he is facing 99 counts related to their property management.