Number of people detained by police in Aurora grows after home invasion and kidnapping at Colorado apartments

The number of people detained by police in Aurora is growing after an alleged overnight home invasion and kidnapping at an apartment building in the Colorado city. Police believe most of the suspects are Venezuelan migrants but they are unsure if they're part of a notorious gang.

A spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department said on Tuesday evening that 19 people have been detained at the apartment complex, in two separate waves of police actions. Police responded to the apartment building at approximately 2:30 a.m. A group of people there had kidnapped and tortured a man and a woman, according to police.

The group allegedly tied up the couple, took them to a different unit that was vacant and beat them there while they burglarized their apartment. The couple was pistol-whipped, and the man was stabbed. Those two people were taken to the hospital but they are going to be okay.

The complex -- The Edge at Lowry apartments on Dallas Street -- has a history of issues with reported crimes.

Fourteen people initially were detained. Some of the detainees were turned over to ICE for the purposes of identification to help Aurora investigators, some were brought to APD headquarters, and some were brought to APD District 1 for interviews.

Later on, APD "was able to execute a new warrant at Dallas Street apartments," according to the police spokesperson, and five more people were detained and brought into APD custody.

As of 6 p.m. on Tuesday, no one has been released from custody.

"We are not going to rest until we verify that every individual involved is in custody," Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said. "Based on the actions that I saw, based on how this event unfolded this is 100% gang activity."  

Police chief says gangs have been targeting new immigrants

The two victims in the case recently immigrated from Venezuela. They believe they were targeted by gang members because of that fact.

The police chief said that gang members have been targeting new immigrants in the city.

"Like many gangs and many individuals involved in this type of activity, they victimize their own race and their own ethnicity," Chamberlain said.

Aurora complex set to be shut down 

The Edge at Lowry apartments is located in the northern part of Aurora and is set to close sometime in the next few months after the city labeled it a criminal nuisance.

The complex was at the center of a political firestorm earlier this year after a video went viral that showed heavily armed men inside one of the buildings.

"This complex is an incredibly problematic complex. It is an incredibly crime-riddled complex," Chamberlain said.

Aurora police have responded to the complex more than 350 times this year. Problems include gang-related crime, lack of proper management and terrible living conditions. The number of calls has been coming down since August and September.

Before police revealed the number of detained individuals had gone up, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman shared the following statement about the crime:

"I echo the strong words Chief Todd Chamberlain expressed in his news conference this morning regarding a suspected gang-related home invasion and kidnapping incident that occurred overnight. Today's swift and decisive action to apprehend the 14 probable gang suspects, and maybe more, demonstrates precisely why we brought the chief here and why he has my full support."
"We have and will continue to protect members of our community and aggressively pursue anyone who tries to victimize them no matter who they are or where they come from. As Chief Chamberlain said, Aurora, like every other major city across the country, must tackle crime - especially concentrated pockets of crime - aggressively. But as I have said repeatedly, specific bad actors and problematic properties do not reflect on this city as a whole."

The City of Aurora also shared a statement:

"The incident at the 'Edge at Lowry' that Chief Chamberlain discussed in detail today underscores, with painful clarity, why the city has been aggressively leading criminal and civil legal actions against the private property owners, managers and/or "investors" of CBZ Management and their various LLCs. Their chosen absence and abject neglect of their own properties for years, and their pattern of ignoring and rejecting the city's various offers to expedite a resolution in recent months, have, in part, created an environment that has allowed criminal activity to flourish time and again irrespective of who is committing the crimes."
"Most recently, City Attorney Pete Schulte represented the city in Aurora Municipal Court on Dec. 5 at a hearing to discuss the criminal nuisance complaint (see attached) the city previously filed against Five Dallas Partners, the LLC which owns and operates five of the six buildings at the 'Edge at Lowry' apartment complex and is connected to CBZ Management. The five buildings are not currently among those in receivership. Two of them are where the crimes occurred overnight. Legal counsel representing the property owners, managers and "investors" of the properties informed the court that their clients agree that the properties should be closed. Despite the counsel's request to delay the proceedings as is typical of CBZ's approach with the city, the court is requiring them to file a formal 'answer' to the city's criminal nuisance complaint by Dec. 30. In the meantime, City Attorney Schulte will review the incident that occurred overnight and most likely update the city's pleadings in the pending criminal nuisance case."
"There has not yet been a resolution finalized between the city and the property owners on the next steps for the properties. The court proceedings are currently scheduled to continue in January. In the likely event that there is an agreement and a decision to close the properties, which would first require court approval as stipulated by the city code (Chapter 62, Div. 2), the city would provide advance notice of at least 30 days to people who are lawfully staying at the properties."
"The city will place a lien on the properties to recoup any costs associated with a closure and any assistance provided to people staying at the properties. The property owners would be required to pay those costs."