Aurora Police Arrest Four Gang Members in Back-to-Back Gun and Drug Investigations

AURORA, Ill. -- Aurora police made four felony arrests over the course of two days this week, recovering multiple firearms, a significant quantity of suspected narcotics, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and cash during separate investigations, the Aurora Police Department said in a news release on Thursday.

All four suspects have been identified by police as confirmed gang members, according to the department.

Two traffic stops yield felony gun arrests on Monday

The first two arrests came during separate traffic stops on Monday, Sept. 21, both conducted by the Aurora Police Special Operations Group (SOG).

Around 5:51 p.m., officers stopped a vehicle near Marshall and Highland Avenues. After searching the vehicle, police found an unloaded Heckler and Koch P30 9mm handgun and a bag containing 37 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Authorities said the handgun had been reported stolen in Houston, Texas.

Efren Romero, 23, of Aurora, was taken into custody. Police identified Romero as a confirmed gang member and a convicted felon who did not have a valid Firearm Owner's Identification card or a Concealed Carry License.

Romero faces multiple felony charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm by a street gang member (a Class 2 felony), unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, multiple counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, driving with a revoked license, and misdemeanor unlawful possession of cannabis by a driver. If convicted of the most serious charge, he could face up to seven years in prison.

Romero is being held in custody at the Kane County Adult Justice Center in St. Charles and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 30.

Later that evening, around 7:45 p.m., officers conducted a second traffic stop at Route 30 and Douglas Road after allegedly observing a traffic violation. Victor Rodriguez, 18, of Centralia, was in the vehicle but was not the driver.

Police said they found Rodriguez armed with a loaded Glock 19X 9mm handgun with an extended magazine, holding 29 rounds of ammunition, at his waistband. The driver of the vehicle was cited for failing to signal and released.

Rodriguez, also identified as a confirmed gang member, faces unlawful use of a weapon by a street gang member (a Class 2 felony) and five counts of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, including one count as a Class 3 felony. If convicted of the most serious charge, he could face up to seven years in prison.

Rodriguez is being held at the Adult Justice Center and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 1.

Search warrant at Elmwood Drive home leads to drug and gun bust on Tuesday

The second pair of arrests came on Tuesday, Sept. 22, when multiple Aurora law enforcement units, including the Special Operations Group, Community Oriented Policing unit, K-9 officers, and a drone unit, served a search warrant at a home in the 500 block of South Elmwood Drive around 6:30 p.m.

Inside the home, investigators recovered:

• 1,596 grams of suspected cocaine
• 205 suspected Adderall pills
• 15 suspected ecstasy pills
• A loaded Glock 19 9mm handgun with 12 rounds of ammunition
• A Ruger .22-caliber rifle
• Approximately 450 rounds of ammunition
• Two digital scales
• Drug packaging materials and a vacuum sealer
• $2,066 in cash

Alvaro Robledo, 34, and Olivia Gonzales, 33, both of Aurora, were arrested without incident. Police identified both as confirmed gang members.

Robledo faces armed violence (a Class X felony), three counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, three counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, and one count of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. If convicted of the Class X felony charge, he could face up to 30 years in prison. He remains in custody pending a detention hearing.

Gonzales faces three counts of felony unlawful possession of a controlled substance, allegedly including cocaine, ecstasy, and Adderall. She was released pending trial and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 29.

Chief Thomas credits patrols for keeping violent crime down

Aurora Police Chief Matt Thomas said the arrests demonstrated the importance of proactive policing in the community.

"This illustrates why it is so important to have our officers out patrolling in our community. Their presence and effort are a major factor in keeping violent crime down," Thomas said in the release. "Getting illegal firearms out of the hands of gang members and convicted felons is an important part of our commitment to reducing violent crime in our city."

Thomas also commended the SOG investigators and the specialized units that assisted in the operations.

"Taking these weapons, including one that had been reported stolen, and illegal drugs off our streets can help prevent future violence," Thomas said. "I commend our SOG investigators and the specialized units that assisted them for identifying and stopping those involved before they had another chance to harm someone in our community."

All four suspects are being charged in separate and unconnected cases. Those charged have not been found guilty, and all acts are alleged.