Migrant mayhem in Aurora? Showdown imminent between PD, council member Jurinsky

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What exactly happened at a large gathering of migrants in Aurora last Sunday depends on who you talk to.

And a showdown is imminent between City Council member Danielle Jurinsky and the Aurora Police Department, according to Jurinsky.

Jurinsky told the author of this article Saturday that she plans to confront police department brass at the Safety Committee meeting Thursday.

Jurinsky posted on Facebook: “To the people of Aurora, I need you to know the severity of and the flat-out truth about what is going on in Aurora. The media won't make a big deal about it and will try to downplay it. Some of my own colleagues would probably even tell you there is nothing to see here.... (Sunday) night, from roughly 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., the city of Aurora was taken over at the intersection of Mississippi and Havana. You will see that Venezuelan flags are flying. The shopping centers were invaded, and cars trapped in. The streets were shut down. There are reports of assaults, theft, and gunshots in the air. I have not heard of any reported deaths. I am told that these folks were ‘celebrating’ the loss of the current Venezuelan leader. Thousands of these folks took over and completely shut down a part of our city. The police were totally over run, and we're forced to get out of the area for their safety.”

PD issues statement

The next day, the Aurora Police Department issued its own statement downplaying the severity of the incident. The department posted on X:

· “An estimated 3,000 to 4,000 people gathered Sunday at the Gardens on Havana shopping center to await the Venezuelan presidential election results.

· “APD learned about the gathering before 5 p.m. when there was a report of suspicious activity at the shopping center. APD subsequently investigated a report of an assault on a store employee during a shoplifting incident.

· “APD established a command post to monitor the gathering.

· “There were incidents of shots being fired into the air during the gathering. APD did not receive any reports of anyone being injured by gunfire.

· “The large crowd made it difficult for customers to enter and leave the shopping center, and roadways in the immediate area were impassable.

· Trash and debris were left behind by those who attended the event.

· “APD did not make any arrests nor did officers issue any tickets, citations, or summons.

Group claims migrants being evicted

And now, a Denver group that advocates for people experiencing homelessness claim a property in Aurora is going to be condemned because of the Venezuelan incident.

The author of this story reached out to Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman about allegations made by Housekeys Action Network Denver, or HAND. "This building has been a problem for years and the city is taking the owners to court over persistent code violations," Coffman said. "The owners are contending that they lost control of the building due to gang activity to dodge their responsibility and that is not accurate."

HAND claims they have spoken to residents of Fitzsimons Place Apartments, 1568 Nome St. They say on Wednesday city officials will require them to get out, according to HAND.

“The city of Aurora’s police, code enforcement, housing and community departments will all be there at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday Aug. 6 to enforce the displacement of these families,” HAND reported in a news release. 'There are no housing resources currently allocated for these individuals - only hygiene and snack packs, and a pitiful offer of three days of shelter. These residents are severely financially disadvantaged, and yet, have been reliably paying rent at this location while living there, but the city refuses to hold the property’s management/ownership accountable to their end of the lease agreements. Realistically, there is nowhere for these residents to go, and they have been given no time to prepare.”

Jurinsky told the author of this article that she had not heard anything about HAND’s claims. “Those are some very strong claims,” she said in an email. “I am not aware of anything that they are talking about, I'm not even sure I would be told about something like that. As for APD, tune into the public safety meeting this Thursday. My colleagues and I plan to confront the APD leadership about Sunday night’s events.”