Police investigating complaints about criminal activity in Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood arrested the owner Zona’s Tamales, one of the neighborhood’s oldest businesses, and charged her with theft by receiving.
Zona Moore, 84, her son Saalim Muhammed, 68, also known as Charles “Buck” Fields, and Renee McKinnon, 49, were arrested on July. 22 for buying and selling stolen property, including cigarettes and televisions. Muhammed and McKinnon are charged with one count each of theft by receiving.
That same day, Ernest Allen McKinney, 57, and Gill “Toni” Lee, 50, were arrested for investigation of distribution of cocaine near the tamale stand. McKinney, an occasional employee of Zona’s, was arrested after he allegedly sold less than a gram of crack cocaine to a confidential informant near the restaurant. He will be charged Thursday.
Lee was arrested after she allegedly helped a confidential informant find crack cocaine to purchase while she was working at the tamale stand. She posted $10,000 bond and will be formally charged on Aug. 9.
Moore and Muhammed each posted $3,000 bond. They will be advised of the charges against them on Aug. 6.
McKinnon posted $5,000 bond and will be advised on Aug. 9.
According to the arrest affidavit, an undercover Denver police officer sold two 37-inch televisions identified as stolen to Muhammed at Zona’s, 713 E. 26th Ave. The officer said he had previously sold “stolen” cigarettes to Muhammed at the restaurant.
