The Waterbury Police Department is conducting an investigation involving two political figures after an incident that was captured on video.
The video reportedly shows former state Rep. Victor Cuevas confronting and making homophobic comments to Efrain Torres, a Republican Board of Aldermen candidate.
“We are investigating the report of a disturbance that occurred on Grant Street on Friday and both of those parties are involved in that investigation,” said Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo.
The incident follows a split within the Republican Party with two different slate of candidates running for office and differing opinions on both sides of what triggered the incident.
In video footage sent to the Courant, Torres, who is running for the 5th district, is seen on a video on Aug. 22 walking downtown by the Republican Town Committee’s headquarters when Cuevas confronts him asking him “What did you call me?” followed by expletives. He then proceeds to make derogatory comments with no response from Torres, except to say “See you later.”
Torres called the incident a hate crime.
The incident was reported by Waterbury Officer Adrian Sanchez, who is Torres’ opponent and was off duty at the time, according to Spagnolo.
Differing accounts
Torres, who works for Green Hub Development as a property manager, said he decided to make a video in response to allegations that he did not pay his taxes.
Frank Caruso, the city’s tax collector, confirmed Monday that Torres is up to date on his taxes.
The video shows Torres walking to Waterbury City Hall, greeting some officers and then switches to a photo showing his taxes paid. Then, it captures him walking downtown where he is then confronted by Cuevas.
Torres claims that Cuevas heavily smeared his name, along with other members of the city’s Republican Party including RTC Chairwoman Dawn Maiorano. Maiorano hosts a show on Facebook where she reportedly accused Torres of not paying his taxes and saying that he did not live in the 5th district. Torres said the accusations are false.
A still from a video shows Efrain Torres and Victor Cuevas in an incident in Waterbury that is now under investigation.
Joe Gramando, owner of Green Hub Development, said Torres has an apartment on the property where he helps manage the building. That address is in the 5th district.
Ahead of the September primary, the Republican Town Committee did not endorse Torres. They chose Sanchez instead. Alderman George Noujaim made a decision to split from the RTC, forming his own slate of candidates including Torres.
Torres alleges that Cuevas has stalked him repeatedly and claims that that he has video showing him following him when he visits his mother at an address in Waterbury that is outside the 5th district.
“Throughout I fear for my life because of the harassment, the stalking and the intimidations and the lies,” he said.
He claims that they have taken pictures of him and his mother outside her apartment and alleges that they have posted videos of his mother’s jeep and her license plate as well as his vehicles.
In contrast, Cuevas alleges that Torres instigated the fight, explaining that he came into the Republican headquarters and held up his taxes and said, “I paid my taxes” followed by expletives.
Torres claimed that he did not instigate anything.
“In no way shape or form is this true,” he said. “I never went inside.”
Acknowledging that he said “unwelcoming things” because he was upset, Cuevas said that the claims being made that it is a hate crime are far-fetched and unfounded.
“For context, my family is very diverse and inclusive,” he said. “My cousin, Nelson Ralph Roman, is openly gay and currently an endorsed Democratic candidate for the 5th district. I am not homophobic and these claims are being exaggerated for political purposes.”
Cuevas has spoken openly in the past about his personal setbacks in life where he now serves as coach of the Roberto Clemente Little League Team.
In August 2023, Cuevas was sentenced to eight months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to defraud a New Haven probate judge candidate in 2017, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Also in 2016, he was sentenced in New Haven federal court to one year of probation and fined $1,000 for conspiring with others to commit bank fraud in connection with his home mortgage loan applications, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Connecticut.
Cuevas said it is “unfortunate that the local administration is using politics to interfere and now put pressure on certain campaigns and certain individuals. We are paying taxpayer dollars to have police work on campaigns.
“Police are working the campaign for the Democrats who are helping the Republicans who are not endorsed,” he said.
In response, Pernerewski said “the city and Waterbury Police Department take allegations of this sort seriously and we fully investigate them regardless of who was involved or where the investigation leads.
“The city will not be deterred by the attempt to deflect attention from the real issue with false self-serving claims of bias,” he added. “The real issue is the right of all of our citizens to go about their lives and activities without harassment or intimidation. Upon completion of the investigation and consultation with the state attorney’s office the city will take appropriate action.”
Noujaim claims that Cuevas “acted irrationally, provoking and stalking my candidate using homophobic slurs.” He also called it a hate crime and said that it should not have taken place.
In a text message, Maiorano said that she did not condone either Cuevas or Torres’ actions.
“Mr. Torres clearly baited Mr. Cuevas with derogatory outbursts and Mr. Cuevas responded with his own outbursts,” she said. “The fact that this is being investigated for any reason is ridiculous and yet another ‘Waterbury Way’ the administration and team handle being questioned or challenged.”
In response to Torres’ accusations that she has smeared his name, Maiorano said: “I am sorry if he considers telling the ‘truth’ about him is smearing.
“He threw himself into the political arena and has to know by doing that, people need to know who he is and what his background is, especially when you primary your own party,” she said. “We endorse for a reason because we believe the endorsed people will be the best representatives for their district’s residents not a representative for democratic and personal agendas as is the entire other slate.”
She also defended Cuevas, calling him a valuable member of their team.
Ken Curran, chairman of the city’s Democratic party, said of the incident that there is no place for hateful language in politics.
“What we have seen over the last two plus years from leadership of the Republican Party is a focus on insults over ideas and this certainly seems to be a symptom of that and our choice this fall will not just be on policy, but how we want to treat each other in Waterbury,” he said. “To build our city up we don’t have to tear each other down.”
