EDINBURG — The police chief here was suspended Friday.
It’s unclear why Edinburg City Manager Richard Hinojosa suspended Chief Cesar Torres for five days. Hinojosa did not return a call seeking comment Friday evening.
Torres confirmed the news via a phone call Friday evening, but did not disclose the nature of the suspension.
“I disagree with it 100%,” he said.
The former Texas Department of Public Safety trooper has been leading the police department for over a year now.
Former Edinburg City Manager Juan Guerra hired Torres in December 2018, shortly after Guerra demoted Torres’ predecessor David White to lieutenant. Guerra based his decision on unscientific rankings from various websites, including Wallet Hub.
A few months after the demotion, White announced what would eventually become a successful bid for office. He took a seat at the Edinburg City Council dais in November 2019 after defeating former councilman David Torres.
The results of the November election and subsequent December runoff, however, changed the makeup of the council and shifted its power to the minority faction. Soon after White won, the council fired Guerra — but not before giving him a $250,000 severance package.
“I got nothing to say about the city manager,” Torres said, referring to Hinojosa. “He’s got a job to do and I’ve got a job to do. I’m a man of God, and I don’t like to talk about people, period.”
