UPDATE 5:30 pm:

The Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevodia reports that the suspect in the killing of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado is Juan antonio Martinez Matos, 26 years old and father of four. (This is a translation from a colleague; the link is www.elnuevodia.com/confiesaasesinatodejovenhomosexual-638687.html and we’d appreciate corrections!)

District Attorney Jose J. Bermudez says that in his confession, Martinez Matos said that he thought Lopez Mercado was a woman. The victim asked him for money and when he refused, Lopez Mercado pulled out a knife.  When Martinez Matos realized that the teenager was actually male, he had a flashback to when he was raped in prison while he was serving a sentence for domestic violence. He then attacked Lopez Mercado, separating his arms from his torso.

Police found a wig, a knife, a burned mattress, a burned PVC pipe and blood on the wall where the murder took place.

The forensic evidence is being investigated by the FBI. Though they have not specified charges yet, the DA says that he is sure this qualifies as a hate crime.

Activists are calling for justice and for the media to focus on the suspect’s acts instead of the behavior of the victim.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force released a statement saying: 

“We urge local law enforcement authorities to continue their expedient work on this case. Fortunately, Puerto Rico has a local hate crimes statute, but it is imperative that federal authorities continue to monitor this ongoing investigation and step in if necessary or assist if asked, as allowed by the new federal hate crimes law.”

Pedro Julio Serrano, Task Force Communications Manager and founder of Puerto Rico Para Todas said in a statement:

“This is a terrible, terrible crime. While we are pleased that law enforcement has acted promptly in making an arrest, it is vital that the hate crimes angle be investigated. This horrendous killing of a young gay man shows no compassion or respect for the dignity of a human life. As someone who grew up in Puerto Rico and has been very active in its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, this is a heart-wrenching moment. Our hearts and sympathies go out to all of Jorge Steven López’s loved ones at this difficult time. Justice must prevail.”

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365gay has new information on the murder investigation surrounding the decapitation and dismemberment of Puerto Rican teen Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado.

Juan Costa Rivera, a 365gay reader who knows Lopez Mercado’s friends, says that the local PR press is reporting that the suspect’s house was radied by police, where they found a burned mattress and pvc pope, a wig, two knives and a “big blood stain on a wall.”  The suspect confessed to police, saying he was looking for prostitutes in a red light district in Caguas. Basically, Rivera says:

“After being rejected by a few women, he saw Jorge dressed as a woman and asked him to go with him to the house. Apparently on the house, the suspect found out that Lopez was a man, after Lopez made sexual advantages, and as a result of the rage, he did what he did.”

Rivera says the police told media outlets that the suspect will likely use a “homosexual panic” defense, arguing for a plea of temporary insanity.