Rep. Torres beat elderly, say witnesses - Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Timely...

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Rep. Torres beat elderly, say witnesses - Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Timely...

http://www.prdailysun.com/news/Rep-Torres-beat-elderly-say-witnesses

February 11, 2011

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by Raul Colon

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Two witnesses have come forward to corroborate that Rep. Luis R. Torres Cruz beat a woman and a man before throwing them off a two-story stairs system at the Mitas religious center in 1995. Both Nilsa Vargas Robles and Diana Ruperto confirmed that they saw how the Popular Democratic Party lawmaker slapped a woman, who was at least 60 years old, and a 70-year-old man, before throwing them down the stairs with the help of another parishioner, Several witnesses appear ready to testify that the current PDP President of San Juan is a violent person who beats up people on a whim. The woman, Mara Mrquez Serrano, was a relative of another man Torres Cruz allegedly beat in the early hours of Feb. 12 that year. Luis (Torres) grabbed [the woman], and after several slaps, threw her down the stairs. We all witnessed that incident as well as his throwing of Salvador Alice, Vargas Robles said. Her account was corroborated by Ruperto and two other former members of the Mitas religious congregation who saw the entire incident. On Wednesday the Daily Sun reported exclusively that Torres Cruz beat two other former members of the congregation during the night of Feb. 11 1995 as punishment for siding with Samuel Benquez in his claim that he is the legitimate son of Mitas church leader Teofilo Vargas, better known as Aaron. Anbal Cardona Pastrana, a former PDP assemblyman from Lares and Amariz Cruz, a current assemblyman for Barceloneta, complained that Torres Cruz beat them senseless during a religious act that night. Cruz is a paraplegic who allegedly was in his wheelchair when he received his beating at the hands of the PDP legislator. Their statements were corroborated by both Vargas and Ruperto, but they went further, stating that they saw how the PDP legislator threw Mrquez Serrano off the stairs in a violent act. I saw how Luis (Torres) beat down Cardona. It was a terrible act of a mad man. He slapped him and punched him in the stomach several times, over and over again, Vargas Robles said. According to Vargas Robles, the PDP lawmaker from San Juan was the henchman of a group assigned to beat them into submission following allegations that she, Ruperto and the others were consorting with Benquez. We were accused and beaten during that night by Luis Ral (Torres) and another set of people in the church, Vargas Robles said. Both Vargas Robles and Ruperto were dismissed from the jobs they held in the congregation. Vargas Robles was the director of nurses for the Mitas retirement home while Ruperto served in the office of Orientation which is attached to the church. The Daily Sun tried to contact Torres Cruz since the story broke on Wednesday to no avail. Both Cardona and Cruz have expressed their desire to submit an affidavit corroborating the chilling experience of violence they lived at the hands of the PDP lawmaker. Vargas Robles decided to come forward now after consulting the matter with her two children who at the time were students in the Mitas school. When I saw him in a news conference speaking about his rehabilitation, I discussed the matter with them and came to the conclusion that because they are grown up, [I could come forward.] Vargas Robles said.

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Rep. Torres beat elderly, say witnesses - Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Timely...

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Ruperto decided to come forward after reading of the incident in the Daily Sun on Wednesday.

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Conoci a las dos damas q hablan en este reportaje, yo trabaje con una de ellas en la oficina de orientacion de la congregacion, muchos no hemos hablado por las amenazas continuas q los miembros de la iglesia nos hacen. No los culpo, tienen una fe ciega en esta doctrina de error. Los tentaculos de la iglesia abarcan los cuarteles de la policia donde tiene miembros policias y la iglesia contribuye economicamente con donaciones y comidas gratuitas a la policia q patrulla en el area, dominan a los feligreses enviando a los pastores a decirle a los hermanos por quien votar, por supuesto, siempre por el partido popular democratico, se nos humilla y destruye la reputacion con mentiras a todos los q alzamos nuestra voz de protesta y se le prohibe al resto de los miembros tener ningun tipo de contacto con los q ellos denominan "viraos", y si alguno lo hace y algun otro miembro lo ve, va a donde el lider o la oficina de orientacion y los acusan de estar en contacto con un virao, y en el proximo culto o vigilia lo humillan publicamente y salen hermanos y pastores dis q en profecia y agreden a los acusados. Por supuesto, el q agrede queda exonerado alegando q no fue el, sino el espiritu de dios en el q los uso para amonestar al hermano. Nadie quiere hacer nada, los periodicos de mayor circulacion temen, los programas de radio y television tambien, una sola orden del lider maximo de la iglesia basta para q todos los hermanos a nivel isla dejen de auspiciarlos con sus compras y votos segun sea el caso, en los cuarteles no toman las querellas y perjudicado queda doblemente atropellado por la iglesia y por el sistema q deberia protegerlo. Pero aun quedamos personas, que aunque no somos perfectos,

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Rep. Torres beat elderly, say witnesses - Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Timely...

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