Aurora police investigating damage to community garden
A tool shed painted to support the LGBTQ community was wrecked this week at the El Jardin community garden in Aurora, and supporters believe the damage was intentional.
According to Aurora police, a neighbor reported shortly before 10:30 p.m. Wednesday that a pickup truck had knocked down the shed in the garden at Union and Claim streets.
Video showed a Dodge Ram pickup truck, possibly red, tapping the shed. The truck then backs up and rams the shed, knocking it down. A neighbor said the truck left on Union.
Last week, a garden fence also painted in a rainbow motif was knocked over. Garden supporters say they thought it was an accident until the shed was destroyed. A sign that said "From the Concrete Grew A Rose" also was damaged.
Alia Rivera, development manager for the Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry, said the fence and the shed were painted as rainbows to honor the contributions members of Aurora's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community made to the garden.
"It was kind of a shout out to them," Rivera said. The food grown in El Jardin is donated to the pantry.
Aurora police say they are investigating.
"We have not ruled it out as a hate crime," police spokesman Paris Lewbel said Friday.
The garden was started in the spring by Ellie Esparza, owner of Concrete Rose Studios. She cleared it of trash and paid for contractors to till the land. She also bought all the seeds and seedlings.
"It's a sad loss," Esparza said in a statement. "The food was helping to feed the people who go to the Aurora (Interfaith) Food Pantry for help and the parents and kids who volunteered just loved it."
Volunteers on Thursday morning were able to salvage some vegetables from the garden.
Besides growing vegetables, El Jardin has hosted a bird-feeder workshop for children, and concerts.
Esparza is seeking to rebuild. Anyone interested in helping may contact Rivera at arivera@aurorafoodpantry.org.