DENVER — Going to the media was one of their last options, but the thefts have become so rampant and dangerous at the Club Valencia condo complex, that now some members of the property's homeowner's association (HOA) are speaking out.
"There have been repeated burglaries from people who appear to do this for a living," Alan Kyte, the HOA's secretary, told Denver7 in an exclusive interview Wednesday. "They've got a bunch of cars, they have weapons. They really know what they're doing."
Unfortunately, it makes perfect sense why the property has become a hotbed for thieves, considering that two fires in the last six months have displaced about 160 residents, which is half the property.
Asbestos contamination has prohibited displaced residents from getting their belongings, and Kyte says thieves have taken note.
"They wear masks pretty frequently and hats, so it can be hard to tell. I think there's at least five who have been inside the building ... and they have more friends driving cars," Kyte said. "They shot at me on Sunday."
The property's surveillance footage shows a man armed with an assault rifle inside the complex, walking through a door and aiming the weapon down the hall. Kyte alleges that this man and the woman he was with have burglarized the property several times.
The footage also shows an Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) tactical team armed with weapons entering the property later that morning wearing respirators.
ACSO confirms they have 16 open investigations at the property that include reports of burglaries, thefts and trespassing.
Entering the property has become a challenge for each one of those incidents. According to ACSO, several deputies have opened workers' compensation claims due to possibly inhaling asbestos.
Both the HOA and ACSO admit that there is no telling how many victims are impacted by possible thefts because deputies aren't able to fully investigate amid safety hazards. Displaced residents also aren't on property to observe any possible theft in their condo.
The HOA says there is still no timetable for when those displaced residents may return, although Kyte is hopeful that the residents impacted by the November fire can return in the next couple months. He admits that those residents have been delayed because of denied fire insurance claims.
"These denials that we believe are wrongful denials have left us paying for these repairs out of pocket," Kyte said.
