A Colorado landlord has agreed to sell a distressed apartment complex that was taken over by the violent Venezuelan migrant gang Tren de Aragua.
Homeowner Zev Baumgarten is fighting with the Denver suburb of Aurora over Aspen Grove after the city accused him of allowing the home to turn into a trash-filled, gang-infested hell, according to records obtained by the Denver Gazette.
Baumgarten's company has now agreed to sell, lease or find some “equitable arrangement” for the complex – which was closed in August, displacing about 300 residents, The Gazette reported,
His company, Nome Partners LLC, also must pay for cleanup of the site.
Baumgarten's company blames the acquisition by Tren de Aragua for the dismal condition of the aspen grove.
One investor told the Denver Post that police had been aware of the gang problem at Aspen Grove for about a year. The investor said the situation got so bad that employees abandoned the site, leaving trash to accumulate and the building to fall into disrepair.
In June, homeowners' attorneys sent letters to police and local officials pleading for help, claiming Tren de Aragua had “forcibly taken possession” of the aspen grove. The city eventually deemed the site a “criminal nuisance” and evicted the residents.
Last month, a video surfaced At a different apartment complex, a gang with guns was shown breaking into a unit.
That’s when Baumgarten found herself facing more than 80 building code violations, ranging from insect infestations to power outages.
Though he blamed it on gangs, prosecutors alleged Baumgarten faced similar charges connected to another apartment building that was shut down in August, according to local publication Westword, which alleged code violations from 2020.
That property was also occupied by migrant gang members, as was a third site in Aurora, a Denver suburb, that protested its neighbor’s “sanctuary city” policy that has allowed more than 42,000 migrants to enter the city.
Now, Aurora is paying the price for this – Residents have complained of shootings and other criminal activity linked to the Tren de Aragua.
