Officials in Aurora are beginning to acknowledge the presence of Venezuelan gang activity in their Colorado city after a terrifying surveillance video was released.

For Cindy Romero, living on 12th Avenue and Dallas Street has become a daily battle against increasing violence and neglect. Life has become a nightmarish ordeal, marked by frequent encounters with crime and what she calls a lack of support from the city and the police.

She first noticed a gradual increase in crime in her part of metro Denver about a year and a half ago. It has gotten worse in the last three months.

“We were constantly forced to take measures to protect ourselves,” Romero said. “I installed more locks, bought more cameras, and parked further away from the building. Despite all these efforts, the situation continued to escalate. We felt like we were being tortured.”

She reported seeing people moving automatic weapons and gunfights taking place.

“I saw handguns, rifles with scopes, and other firearms. It got so bad that the bullets even went through my friend’s apartment and hit my car,” Romero said.

Despite many calls to 112, the police were hardly ever on site.

“The police called me and said they wouldn’t come unless it was a serious crime,” Romero said. “When I called the police to report a shooting, an officer asked if I had considered moving. If I could have afforded to leave, I would have.”

Romero installed multiple cameras that captured weeks of violent activity. The doorbell video shows a group of armed men forcing their way into her neighbor’s home. Another night, her camera outside captured two men approaching a vehicle with guns drawn.

Romero criticized city officials for failing to address the problem.

“You were elected to protect your constituents. You raise money with your promises, but you let us die,” she said.

After a shooting on August 18, Romero was driven to despair. This week, her pleas for help were finally answered. By Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky.

“Jurinsky was the only one who really cared about our safety and worked to find solutions. It meant a lot to have someone who really cared,” Romero said.

Jurinsky helped her move and find another home.

“I went in there myself to help people move. There was a large police presence and at one point a gentleman ran up the stairs after me,” Jurinsky said. “It was an eerie feeling. Even as I was helping people move, others were coming in right before me.”

Jurinsky first became aware of the increasing gang activity shortly after a large gathering in Aurora related to the Venezuelan elections.

“People reported seeing individuals patrolling their properties with weapons and walking through their buildings. They repeatedly called the police, but there was no response,” Jurinsky said.

According to her, police leadership instructed officers that a minimum of three to four officers were needed to respond to such situations. If those numbers were not available, officers were told not to respond.

The councillor expressed his frustration that he was one of the few people who drew attention to this problem.

According to her, politics plays with people’s lives.

“There is human suffering on the other side of some of these doors and these apartment complexes, but we have a big election coming up and nobody wants to talk about this. Because if they start talking about this, somebody has to admit that there is a problem somewhere,” she said.

Aurora police said Wednesday that they are aware of TdA elements operating in Aurora.

In a statement, APD said, among other things:

“It would be inappropriate at this time for the City and APD to draw conclusions about specific incidents or provide details about law enforcement strategy and operations. Based on our initial investigative work, we believe the reports of TdA influence in Aurora are isolated.”

Jurinsky hopes action will be taken following the release of Romero’s video footage.

“The images are too real to deny,” she said. “Something has to be done now.”

Romero says she survived the ordeal by staying quiet, feeding the animals and spraying them for bedbugs.

Every night she prayed she would hear sirens.

In her new home, far away, the peace she feels is fleeting. Because for many others, she says, there is no way out, no solution, and no sign that help will ever come.

“My family lives in Aurora. My daughters live there. I convinced them to move to Aurora. If someone doesn’t do something now, their apartments will be next,” she said.

The city and Aurora police have created a special task force to address concerns about Venezuelan gang activity.

APD urges all community members, including members of our immigrant communities, to report crimes committed against them to their local law enforcement agencies and not remain silent victims. Victims of crimes can report crimes anonymously by calling Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720.913.STOP (7867). As always, information is subject to change as investigations continue at the local, state, and federal levels.