Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Aurora

Aurora’s 3-strike vehicle law: Nearly 1,000 off the streets as crackdown unfolds
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Aurora’s 3-strike vehicle law: Nearly 1,000 off the streets as crackdown unfolds

By Vicente Arenas | Fox31 AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Aurora Police Department statistics show 920 vehicles have been impounded under the city’s new three-strikes seizure law. Ward IV Council member Stephanie Hancock sponsored the city’s new traffic law. “I think the concern with our constituents has been, ‘Why are there so many cars with expired tags or no license plates at all on the roads?’ It’s very likely these cars don’t have insurance,” Hancock said. In Aurora, vehicles can be seized when a driver lacks a license, insurance and registration. Pictures of some of the vehicles that have been seized and sold can be seen on the Roller Auction website. When the new law went into effect, FOX31 saw several expired plates in just one location. APD said there are also a...
Police investigate threats against UCHealth hospital in Aurora, find them not credible
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Police investigate threats against UCHealth hospital in Aurora, find them not credible

By Jacob Factor | Fox31 News DENVER (KDVR) — Aurora police investigated threats made against the UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, although both the police agency and hospital said in statements that the threats have not been deemed credible. Police and a UCHealth spokesperson said the threat does not appear to be credible, but police are searching buildings on the CU Anschutz campus. The hospital’s emergency department is open, but the hospital has “enhanced security measures in place during this investigation.” "UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital received a threat this afternoon, and while the threat does not appear to be credible, UCHealth’s security team is working with Aurora Police and their bomb squad to investigate and search our buildings...
Stabbing at Aurora middle school leaves one student hospitalized, another arrested
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Stabbing at Aurora middle school leaves one student hospitalized, another arrested

By Michael Braithwaite | Denver Gazette A teen girl was stabbed by another girl outside the Aurora Science and Tech Middle School on Wednesday, suffering injuries severe enough to require hospitalization. The incident began at about 1:23 p.m., when the two were involved in a heated argument outside on school property, the Aurora Police Department said on X Wednesday afternoon. The argument then escalated and one of the girls stabbed the other. The girl was transported to the hospital with injuries considered to be serious but currently not life-threatening, a spokesperson for Aurora police confirmed Wednesday afternoon. The other girl who stabbed her was arrested. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
ACLU sues to block use of Alien Enemies Act to deport TdA members in Aurora
Approved, denvergazette.com, State

ACLU sues to block use of Alien Enemies Act to deport TdA members in Aurora

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Colorado to try to block the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act to remove immigrants unlawfully living in the U.S. who are accused of being members of a Venezuelan gang. The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order to prevent President Donald Trump from using the wartime act, arguing the White House proclamation designating members of Tren de Aragua as "alien enemies" does not satisfy the tenets of the Alien Enemies Act. Specifically, a gang’s criminal activities "do not constitute an 'invasion or predatory incursion' under the AEA and the Act was a wartime authority meant to address 'military' attacks," the ACLU argued in the lawsuit. AC...
Illegal immigrants in Aurora arrested for targeting homeowners in ‘sophisticated’ burglaries: police
Approved, Fox News, Local, State

Illegal immigrants in Aurora arrested for targeting homeowners in ‘sophisticated’ burglaries: police

By Sarah Rumpf-Whitten | Fox News A crew of "highly sophisticated" Colombian nationals has been arrested in Aurora, Colorado, after allegedly targeting and burglarizing nearly two dozen homes, authorities revealed. The Auroroa Police Department announced in a release that authorities arrested five suspects Thursday, March 27, during searches of two homes. Police said multiple agencies recovered hundreds of pieces of stolen property, including cash, jewelry, and high-priced clothing and accessories. Police said the suspects operated a "sophisticated" burglary ring and used counter-surveillance measures to target their victims, using signal jamming technology to bypass residential alarm systems. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX NEWS
Wi-Fi jammers and trackers: The new face of organized burglary hits Aurora
Approved, Denver Post, Local

Wi-Fi jammers and trackers: The new face of organized burglary hits Aurora

By Sofia Joucovsky | Denver Post Five people suspected of burglarizing 21 homes in Aurora have been formally charged by the Arapahoe County District Court. The suspects, all Colombian nationals, each were charged with criminal attempt to commit second-degree burglary and conspiracy to commit second-degree burglary, but the charges still could be changed or modified, Eric Ross, spokesperson for the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s office, said. They are being held in an Immigrant and Customs Enforcement detention facility. The suspects are accused of robbing 21 Aurora homes by placing cameras around victims’ houses and trackers in their cars, following and watching them, and then using WiFi signal jamming technology to bypass alarm systems, according to Joe Moylan, Au...
Aurora authorities ‘declined’ to help search for 2 illegal aliens who escaped Colorado detention facility: ICE
Approved, Fox News, Local

Aurora authorities ‘declined’ to help search for 2 illegal aliens who escaped Colorado detention facility: ICE

By Christina Shaw | Fox News Authorities in Aurora, Colorado, are allegedly declining to help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) locate two illegal immigrants who escaped from the Denver Contract Detention Facility on Tuesday, the agency said. Illegal immigrants Joel Jose Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 32, and Geilond Vido-Romero, 24, escaped from the facility at some point on Tuesday after they were accounted for during a 2 p.m. facility-wide count. The Aurora Police Department shared a document with Fox News Digital that said staff at the facility became aware of the escapees at approximately 12:35 a.m. on Wednesday. It also said that an Aurora police officer responded to an "outside agency assist" at 5:13 a.m. on Wednesday. Aurora Police Public Information Officer ...
Colorado crime and Aurora’s experience with auto theft  
Approved, Common Sense Institute, Local

Colorado crime and Aurora’s experience with auto theft  

By Common Sense Institute Colorado’s crime rate is not back to its pre-pandemic level. Both local and state authorities are currently attempting to find policy solutions.  Some localities have created policies and procedures that go beyond state guidelines in an effort to control crime. The City of Aurora implemented mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines for auto theft in 2022, for example, the year that Colorado’s and Aurora’s auto theft rates were highest. This policy led to a decrease in the auto theft rate in the city beyond what was seen statewide. In 2023, state lawmakers tried to address auto theft with passage of SB23-097. This bill did not implement mandatory minimum sentences, but instead made it a felony to commit auto theft regardless of the value of the vehicle. T...
Denver Arrest Warrant Raises Stakes for Controversial Aurora Property Manager
Approved, Local, Westword

Denver Arrest Warrant Raises Stakes for Controversial Aurora Property Manager

By Bennito L. Kelty | Westword Called "out-of-state slumlords" by Aurora's mayor, the owners of CBZ Management are now wanted in Denver months after entering the public spotlight. The owners of CBZ Management, a controversial property management firm, have a warrant out for their arrests for failing to appear in Denver court on March 10, to resolve fines for property code violations. An arrest warrant issued by a Denver County judge raises the stakes for the Brooklyn-based property owners, who triggered a media storm in Aurora after they blamed the abysmal conditions at their apartment complexes on a violent Venezuelan gang takeover. The warrant was issued for Zev and Shmaryahu Baumgarten after the two failed to appear for a deposition hearing as the owners of CBZ Man...
Businessman Steve Sundberg seeking re-election in Aurora’s Ward 2
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Businessman Steve Sundberg seeking re-election in Aurora’s Ward 2

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice Around Aurora, some just call him the "one with the beard." Steve Sundberg is a soft-spoken member of the Aurora City Council and serves as mayor pro-tem. He's known to shun the limelight, but more than the beard is a reason he's an easily recognized figure around town. “Having operated a restaurant in Aurora for 28 years and, as the owner the past few, you learnquickly about listening to people and investing in your customers,” Sundberg said. “That’s really what drove my business and my interest in serving these same individuals and families on City Council." Sundberg has announced his intention to seek another four-year term in City Council Ward 2. His priorities have been two-fold: unifying the diverse population of Aurora, and publi...