AURORA, Colo. — Nine suspected members of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua accused of a violent home invasion and kidnapping last month at the troubled Edge of Lowry apartment complex in Aurora have been formally charged in Arapahoe District Court.
A total of 16 people were taken into custody and were placed on federal immigration holds following the Dec. 17 armed home invasion and kidnapping of a Venezuelan couple who endured what the Aurora police chief could only describe as “torture.”
Denver7 spoke exclusively with both victims after the suspected gang members were taken into custody. Hear them describe their ordeal in the video player below.
The remaining seven suspects remain under investigation for their alleged crimes, said Joe Moylan, an Aurora Police Department spokesperson.
The suspects face varying charges including second-degree kidnapping, first-degree assault, aggravated robbery, second-degree burglary, extortion and menacing. In addition to those charges, the Aurora Police Department has also obtained arrest warrants for three additional suspects. Those suspects are not yet in custody, Moylan said.
Among the suspects charged last week are:
- Andres Alexander Liendo-Padilla, 26
- Javier Alexander Alvarado Parada, 24
- Jesus Alberto Alejos Escalona, 22
- Junior Reyes-Barrios, 28
- Barbara Sivle Medina-Arcaya, 29
- Donarkys Teresa Suarez-Quesada, 31
- Luigi Javier Soto-Sucre, 26
- Niefred Jose Serpa-Acosta, 20
- Jengrinso Elias Loreto-Petit, 26
Serpa-Acosta was already wanted on an active felony warrant for burglary and menacing, according to police. The warrant stemmed from the viral Aug. 18 incident captured on surveillance video, in which Serpa-Acosta and five other armed men were seen knocking on apartment doors at the Edge of Lowry apartments roughly 10 minutes before 25-year-old Oswaldo Jose Dabion Araujo was shot at the complex. He later died from his injuries.
An apartment complex marred in controversy
The Edge of Lowry apartments has been in the national spotlight since last summer because of a video that went viral showing armed men entering one of the units in the complex, sparking claims that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) had "taken over" the complex.
The surveillance video was recorded on Aug. 18, roughly 10 minutes before 25-year-old Oswaldo Jose Dabion Araujo was shot at the complex. He later died from his injuries.
In September, the Aurora Police Department deemed two apartment complexes — the Edge of Lowry and 200 Columbia — "criminal nuisances" and threatened closure over safety concerns that reportedly include "crime and deterioration."
The company that owns Edge of Lowry — CBZ Management — claims gang members prevented them from making repairs at their Aurora properties, saying it was too dangerous for their employees to be on site.
Code enforcement and inspection records dating back to 2020, however, show numerous violations prior to an influx of Venezuelan immigrants in the Denver metro, including mice infestations, ceiling damage, and dozens of unlawful vehicles parked in the parking lot.
Aurora
Aurora’s mayor deflects blame over gang crisis after violent kidnapping
In early December, CBZ Management and the city of Aurora agreed to close the Edge of Lowry apartment complex for safety reasons and repairs.
On Friday, our partners at The Denver Post reported the city was seeking an emergency closure of troubled apartments claiming the property presented "an immediate threat to public safety and welfare."
Earlier Monday, Judge Shawn Day sided with the city and granted an emergency order "to allow the city to begin the temporary closure process at the properties," said spokesperson Ryan Luby in an email to Denver7. A hearing is scheduled for 3 p.m. "to discuss the next steps in the underlying criminal nuisance case," Luby added.
But exact details — including when the 60-unit complex will be closed and what happens to the people living in its five buildings — remain unclear.
Though the timeline is uncertain, the apartments’ closure is unlikely before mid-February at the earliest. Peter Schulte, Aurora’s city attorney, told our partners at The Denver Post after the hearing that residents would be given at least 30 days’ notice before the building is closed.
Officials said 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 then be required to pay those costs.
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