AURORA | The man accused of leaving a CBZ Management property manager bloodied after assaulting him in a northwest Aurora apartment had his court hearing postponed until December.

On November 14, 2023, the property manager of Whispering Pines Condominiums at 1357 Helena Street, Zev Baumgarten, was allegedly assaulted by Yoendry Vilchez Medina-Jose, who also allegedly threatened the life of another resident of the apartment complex that same day. .

The CBZ Management X account seems to be referring to the alleged incident on their thread about the Tren de Aragua gang “taking over” their apartment complexes in Aurora.

Aurora police and city officials have repeatedly disputed allegations by property owners and City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky that Venezuelan gangs have overrun the properties or the area. City officials say the problems at Whispering Pines and two other CBZ-owned properties in northwest Aurora are mostly caused by mismanagement, not Venezuelan immigrants or gangs. Mayor Mike Coffman has repeatedly referred to CBZ as “slumlords”.

CBZ officials and their supporters in the city council are behind the claims that their complexes are overrun by gangs.

“After a while, we noticed an increase in crime and tenant complaints. The most alarming moment occurred when our local CBZ representative was attacked in late 2023,” CBZ Management said on an X account opened in September that focuses on controversial apartment issues at three properties in northwest Aurora. “He had gone to inspect a recently vacated three-bedroom flat (a rare occurrence for such a large unit) only to find a group of men already inside. When he refused their $500 bribe to overlook the situation, they brutally attacked him. This photo was taken shortly after he escaped, just before he was admitted to hospital.”

The photo attached to the post shows a man with a beard and glasses with blood on his mouth, face and clothing.

In a letter written by the law firm Perkins Coie — which represents CBZ’s interests — to the Aurora Police Department, it said: “Nov. 2023, a property management company consultant was beaten and stomped on by gang members so badly that he had to go to the hospital. Notably, this incident was captured on videotape, which we understand was provided to the Aurora Police Department.”

An arrest affidavit filed in the 18th Judicial District Court incident is currently suppressed, but the complaint listed Medina-Jose’s allegations. On August 5, Medina-Jose was arrested by the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office on an Arapahoe District Court warrant. Medina-Jose was charged with felony menacing for threatening another Whispering Pines resident. He was also charged with third-degree assault on the property manager.

Aurora police officials announced on September 11 that they had identified Medina-Jose as a member of the Tren de Aragua gang.

At the request of Medina-Jose’s lawyer, the court hearing was postponed until December 6. He remains in custody at the Arapahoe County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail.

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