The Edge at Lowry apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, which gained national attention following a viral video in August showing armed men believed to be linked to Venezuelan-born "Tren de Aragua" gang entering an apartment shortly before a fatal shooting, is poised to close early next year after city officials filed a criminal nuisance complaint due to ongoing violent crime and poor living conditions.
The episode gained national attention after President-elect Donald Trump cited the scenes in the building as an example of migrant criminal violence in the country during the presidential debate. "Venezuelan gang members have taken over parts of the city because these stupid people leading our country are allowing these criminals to come into our country," Trump added during an August rally. "We're going to get them the hell out of here."
Trump on the Venezuelans that took over a building complex in Aurora, Colorado: "Venezuelan gang members have taken over parts of the city because these stupid people leading our country are allowing these criminals to come into our country... we’re going to get them the hell out… pic.twitter.com/wvm0jFTQpO
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Even though Aurora's interim police chief didn't rule out the presence of gang members in the area, she flatly denied that gangs had taken over the complex, prompting the city's Republican mayor to label the incident a part of an "environment of hysteria."
The decision by city officials to close the complex is attributed to a broader lack of management by the property's owners, CBZ Management. "They created an environment where the criminal element could move in and be unchecked," said Aurora City Attorney Pete Schulte to ABC News, adding that gangs were responsible for some of the crime but that a lot of it was not related to them.
Schulte added that while CBZ Management claimed that the gang had taken over the building, the city's investigation found that the property was essentially abandoned, creating an environment where criminal activity could spread unchecked.
During a court hearing on December 5, 2024, the owners of the property agreed that the buildings should be closed, and the city is expecting a judge to issue an order for closure during the next court hearing on January 13, 2025. Once the order is finalized, residents will be given 30 days' notice to vacate the premises.
Although the owners did not respond to allegations of the property becoming a crime hub, a court-appointed official is managing one of the six buildings, which will not be affected by the closure. The building in question is currently being improved under the direction of the mortgage lender.
The closure of The Edge at Lowry is the latest action in a series of legal battles involving CBZ Management, which has faced scrutiny over several properties linked to crime and code violations, including 1568 Nome St., due to uninhabitable conditions, as reported by Colorado's Fox 31.
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