AURORA | Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said that another apartment complex in the city was infiltrated by “immigrant gang members,” but that this time, swift and cooperative action led to arrests and a firmer grip on the situation.
“The difference is, we are not going to allow this to gain momentum,” Chief Chamberlain said at a press conference Tuesday. “We are not going to allow it to gain steam. We are not going to step away from it. We are going to step into it. We are going to hold all of those individuals accountable.”
A video showing a group of a few armed men attempting to force their way into an apartment in The Edge at Fitzsimons complex, 544 Potomac St. surfaced recently. It’s similar to the previous viral video from the Edge at Lowry Apartments. Unlike last time, this video was turned over directly to Aurora Police by a resident, which accelerated the investigation and resulted in arrests, police said.
Chamberlain nine people are sought in the case so far.
“It shows armed individuals threatening an apartment in an apartment complex here in the Aurora area,” Chamberlain said. “The scene is very reminiscent of the TdA gang takeover that occurred last year and gained national attention.”
He referred to the notorious Venezuelan prison gang, Tren de Aragua, blamed by some local and national political figures for crimes in the United States. The chief said, however, police are unsure so far if the event is related to any gang.
Chamberlain said the suspects in the video targeted a Venezuelan family that had just moved in two days prior. He said the suspects are believed to be Venezuelan and possibly part of TdA or another immigrant gang.
Two suspects were arrested, and seven are still being pursued.
“All the individuals were armed,” he said. “Had they opened that door? I shudder to think what might have happened to them.”
The apartment complex has had a history of issues, Chamberlain said, with 44 calls for service since August. On Aug. 24, there was a report of shots fired. On Sept. 24, there was a report of a 14-year-old who was kidnapped. On Jan. 6, there was a victim who was pulled into an apartment by three Venezuelans, and on June 7, there were shots fired involving 22 rounds, Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain said the police department took swift action, including conducting door-to-door visits of both vacant and occupied units and distributing flyers to encourage residents to speak with officers.
“The flyers were to make sure that they felt that they could have a conversation with us, and they’d be safe,” Chamberlain said about the other immigrant tenants. “That they could pass on information that would allow us to understand and focus on the individuals who were causing the problems.”
One suspect, Larry Galbraith, told police he had been tattooed by one of the Venezuelan gang members and that many of the group were using “Tusi,” a combination of cocaine and ketamine.
“It appears that he is getting more directed and told what to do by other individuals,” Chamberlain said, describing Galbraith’s role in the group.
Galbraith was charged with felony menacing, Chamberlain said.
“They are picking on a community that they are versed in,” Chamberlain said. “They are picking on a community that is the immigrant population in the City of Aurora.”
He did not say specifically if any of the suspects were certain to be immigrants, or if APD was working with immigration officials in the case.
Chamberlain said the suspects use military-style tactics like “stacking up at a door with multiple weapons pointed at it,” which he said is something that the police department has seen with individuals who have been groomed, “cultivated” and are a now considerable risk to the community, he said.
The police department has partnerships with federal agencies, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations, and Chamberlain said that he is willing to work with them if necessary. The police are also conducting data analysis and coordinating daily with multiple police units. Chamberlain showed a visual to illustrate the connection between one individual and a broader network of criminal suspects across Aurora.
“Nothing happens in a vacuum,” Chamberlain said. “This is not one person. It’s a chain of continuity. It’s a chain of actions. It’s a chain of connections.”
Chamberlain said Aurora police will continue to focus on accountability and safety by working on preventing gang displacement, while conducting continuous analysis of gang connections and networks, and tracking gang movements.
“Aurora is an incredibly vibrant city,” he said, adding that he wanted to make sure to clarify that Aurora is an incredibly safe city.
Thank you Councilwoman Jurinsky for drawing attention to the nationwide problem of widespread illegal immigrant crime in Aurora and our country. We are all indebted to you. If this were not on video, the media would likely be denying this as well.
Kirk, are you smoking crack? Jurinski is a scam artist. She doesn’t care one bit about Aurora. She only wants to get in front of a microphone to spread more lies. Do you think she is enhancing the image of Aurora, talking about city officials being trash, or exaggerating the TDA’s presence and impact?
Trying to sweep the problem under the rug like your side tried to do doesn’t actually “enhance the image of Aurora.” If you’re upset about how the city was portrayed in the national media, it’s because your side’s open borders fetish allowed it to get that way in the first place.
Your side are like children who trash their room and then complain when the parents point out that the room is trashed.
Incredibly safe? You may not get an officer for hours in a serious situation. SB217 ran thousands of officers out of law enforcement. That needs to be repealed. The silence of our chiefs, sheriffs, and police associations is deafening. The public is not aware of the real situation and those who could tell you (police officers) are not allowed to talk. God save us from political types.
Larry, sure looks like a local homie and was just chilling but new TdA management simply seized his crib. So the reality, sanctuary city spills over into Larrys peaceful life.
The last “gang takeover” of an apartment complex in Aurora was proven to be a hoax. This entire article smells fishy. The real issue is these slumlord property mgmt companies exploiting immigrant families. They turn it around and try to blame it on made up gangs of non white people so save their own hides and continue making money of the exploitation of the city. This is disgusting. Fliers urging residents to talk to and trust police…. Yeah, for what? So you can send thugs in to kidnap and human traffic them I’m sure.
LOL, you dingdongs are still trying to lie after the videos came out. You’re about 10 months behind the news curve, doofy, and your open borders fetish is so toxic even the majority of Hispanics support deportations.