REGION: El Grupo announces new spokesman

By North County Times | Saturday, January 10, 2009 12:10 AM PST

El Grupo, a North County-based umbrella group of local civil rights organizations, named a San Diego attorney as its new spokesman.

The attorney, Victor Torres, will succeed Bill Flores, a retired assistant sheriff and Escondido resident who has been the public face and voice of the group since 2006.

"It's time for a new voice to lead our efforts," Flores said in a news release.

Flores, who will remain a member of El Grupo, was a founding member of the organization in the late 1990s.

Torres, of Rancho Penasquitos, is a trial attorney and a past president of the La Raza Lawyers Association of San Diego County. He is a graduate of the University of San Diego's School of Law.

After fading from public view several years ago, El Grupo resurfaced in 2006 in response to events perceived as targeting minority communities in North County, including anti-illegal immigrant rallies.

The re-emergence of the group also was a reaction to Vista's day labor law and Escondido's controversial rental law barring landlords from renting to illegal immigrants.

WWW. NORTH COUNTY TIMES , COM

COMMENTS

Bo January 10, 2009 11:09AM PST
This passes for news? Why does the NCT give so much positive attention to an orgnization that promotes illegal activities

Pancho January 10, 2009 3:14PM PST
As I expected, Flores gave up his leadership of El Grupo and will now bring in his horns,play the nice guy roll to all, lay low for two years, then run for Escondido city counsel. In the mean time most people will have forgotten the damage he has done to Escondido. This method was used by Olga in her second run for city counsel.

RG1 January 10, 2009 3:45PM PST
Flores said "It's time for a new voice to lead our efforts." I disagree. It's way past time! This guy has done much damage to community relations between Latinos and others with his constant excuses for unlawful behavior by those he claims to support. It is my hope that Torres will use a different approach. That is to educate Latinos, both legal citizens and illegals in the proper and lawful conduct that will get them looked upon as responsible members of the community rather than scofflaws being defended by the likes of Bill Flores.

Dave from Oceanside January 10, 2009 6:20PM PST
Well said RG1.

MVet January 10, 2009 8:35PM PST
I don't believe that Mr. Bill Flores, was ever really an officer of the law