In the fall of 2020, the Denton Police Department assembled a gun violence task force to address the increase in violent crimes using guns in the city, and now passing the half-year mark of the initiative, Denton police report collecting 156 guns and disrupting several other illegal activities.
Denton police decided to approach the initiative with an evidence-based, data-driven approach and placed detectives in the areas they saw guns being used the most in criminal activity.
Detectives located and seized stolen and/or illegal guns and reported gun-related offenses.
One recent encounter occurred in the 4200 block of I-35 on Friday, April 16 when a detective received a call about the smell of marijuana, police say.
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When the detective arrived, he reported seeing a man leave the location with a backpack that seemed to have a large gun sticking out from it.
The detective then took the man, identified as 19-year-old Xavier Aguirre, in custody and further investigated, locating more similar items before obtaining a warrant.
The warrant led to police finding the following items:
- 12 guns (including 1 stolen one)
- Multiple extended gun magazines
- Large amounts of ammunition
- 40 individual doses of LSD
- 55 tabs of MDMA ecstacy
- 85 Xanax pills
- 77.5 grams of promethazine with codeine
- 5.675 lbs of marijuana
- $1,355 in cash
Aguirre now faces seven felony charges and one outstanding Denton County Sheriff's Office Warrant.
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Denton Police Department plan to continue the initiative and are asking the public to contact them at 940-349-8181 to report suspected violent or suspicious activity, or 911 if it is an emergency.
