Police Announces Arrests In Apartment Complex Investigation
In a troubling and escalating situation, Aurora police have identified several members of the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) as being responsible for a series of violent incidents at multiple apartment complexes in the city, particularly Whispering Pines. Despite earlier denials from law enforcement about the gang’s presence, recent arrests paint a grim picture of the gang’s activities, which have reportedly included extortion, assault, threats of murder, and even child prostitution.
The Whispering Pines complex, located on Helena Street, has become the focal point of the gang’s alleged takeover. According to the property’s landlord and other witnesses, TdA members began establishing control over the building in late 2023, forcibly taking over vacant units and demanding “rent” from tenants.
Whispering Pines’ management claimed the gang’s criminal grip involved violent intimidation tactics, leading to fear among residents, and that these activities were part of a broader, illegal “business plan” involving drugs and the exploitation of minors.
Among the arrests was Yoendry Vilchez Medina-Jose, who was taken into custody in August 2024, accused of a brutal assault at Whispering Pines back in November. Another gang member, Juan Carlos Mejia-Espana, was arrested for a separate domestic violence incident in March. TdA members like Yorman Camilo Sangronis-Garcia and Larry Medina were similarly apprehended for other violent offenses, including a hit-and-run and felony menacing, respectively.
Adding to the complexity, the police have tied some of the TdA members to crimes unrelated to the apartment complexes, such as Carlos Aranguren-Mayora, who is accused of a staggering 38 criminal acts throughout the Denver area. Meanwhile, Roiberth Daniel Mora-Marquez, another TdA member, faces charges for assaulting someone over unpaid “rent” and is linked to a nonfatal shooting.
Despite these arrests and shocking reports from witnesses and property management, Aurora police and city officials have pushed back on the narrative that the gang has “taken over” the city. In a statement, Aurora officials sought to calm concerns, noting that issues related to TdA have been confined to “a select few properties” and that these situations do not represent the broader state of the city. They also emphasized that the gang was not directly collecting rent from residents, contradicting earlier claims from Whispering Pines’ management.
However, a bombshell report from law firm Perkins Coie, hired to investigate the situation at Whispering Pines, has provided grim insight into the gang’s tactics. According to the report, TdA members have repeatedly threatened to kill the property manager and have attempted to exert financial control over the complex, even going so far as to demand 50% of the collected rent. One housekeeper revealed a chilling conversation with a gang member who said, “This is our business plan… If [the property manager] doesn’t like it, we’ll fill him with bullets.”
The situation has continued to escalate, with accounts of violent retaliation against residents who refused to comply with the gang’s demands. In one incident, a resident was allegedly stabbed for refusing to pay rent to TdA, and in another, gang members were arrested while attempting to carry out a murder against the property manager.
Former U.S. attorney T. Markus Funk has described the situation as dire, stating that the evidence points to the gang’s involvement in human trafficking, sexual abuse of minors, unlawful possession of firearms, and extortion. He also highlighted that the gang appears to be preying on vulnerable immigrant communities, particularly Venezuelans, who may feel powerless in the face of such criminal intimidation.