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Loading ...Gay teen burned and decapitated in Puerto Rico
Towleroad reported today that a gay Puerto Rican teen was found brutally murdered on the island.
Nineteen-year-old, Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado’s body was found burned, decapitated and dismembered on Nov. 14 in Cayey, a city only a few miles away from his hometown in Caguas.According to an iReport by Christopher Pagan, “He was a very well known person in the gay community of Puerto Rico, and very loved.”
Pagan said, “Never in the history of Puerto Rico has a murder been classified as a hate crime. Even though we have to follow federal mandates and laws, many of the laws in which are passed in the USA such as Obama’s new bill, do not always directly get practiced in Puerto Rico.”
Pagan also noted the public remarks from a police investigator for the case that ‘people who lead this type of lifestyle need to be aware that this will happen’.
Towleroad translated gay activist Pedro Julio Serrano’s response:
“It is inconceivable that the investigating officer suggests that the victim deserved his fate, like a woman deserves rape for wearing a short skirt. We demand condemnation of this investigator and demand that Superintendent Figueroa Sancha replace him with someone capable of investigating this case without prejudice.”
According to Pagan, the story has only made local headlines and deserves international coverage.
My heart goes out to Jorge’s family. I sincerely hope this is prosecuted as a hate crime under the Matthew Shepard law.
Wow, this is terrifying. we need to get the word out to as many people as possible that LGBT for the most part, especially in other places around the world, are in A LOT of physical danger!
This is terrible! This has all the markings of a hate crime, it’s not enough to murder someone, you need to decapitate them, and dismember them then burn them! No doubt perpetrated by someone not able to accept themself. How tragic. the investigator is incapable of preforming his job, given his comments and should seek other employment.voluntarily or otherwise.
my prayers are with the family and friends of this man. No one deserves to be treated like this.
Jorge A. JimenezPretty sad news… I’m from Caguas, the same city he was from. I’m really concern and touch with this news. I have a lot of gay friends in the Island, where I was born and raised and I left on 2006 to come to live here in Tampa,FL… Rest in Peace… if you can… Dead Penalty to those who commited such a horrible crime!!! Jorge.
It is truly a sad day for Puerto Ricans. This young man’s life was taken simply for being who he is. Mr. Serrano is on point when he stats that it is inconceivable that the investigating officer suggests that the victim deserved his fate, like a woman deserves rape for wearing a short skirt. Truly a sad sad day.
This is such a horrible, horrible tragedy! It really makes one sick to one’s stomach to know of such an inhumane slaughter of such a young and vibrant life. My heart goes out to this young man’s family, I don’t know that anyone can imagine the terrible pain and grief they must be enduring at this time. These vicious, homophobic killers need to be found as soon as possible and face justice to the fullest extent that a hate crime will allow.
I can’t help wonder WHY!
Im from PR and many of my friends knew Jorge Steven. It scares me to know that ppl in this place would go that far. I saw his body on the news. They did unthinkable things.. His legs, his arms and his head were completely separated from the torso. His body parts burned and mutilated, thrown on the side of the road like garbage. Im embarrased to call Puerto Rico my home. This is just disgusting. Homophobia is exploding here lately, and we need your help! Boycott us as you did with Jamaica, give us news coverage, do anything… But plz don’t let this happen again! We have a whole republican government against us!
I just hope the media from the main land and International gets on with this news and boycot PR. How insensitive the plice Investigator spoke about the case with typical Homophobic remark, that guy should be shot in the public square. He is an example of the law????” MUY MACHO y es el primero que las da”
The level of violence in this crime is difficult to fathom. My thoughts and prayers are with Jorge’s family, loved ones, and friends.
Yes, we need to spread the word and provoke international pressure to our legal and political system.
This is pure EVIL. The police officer is an embarassment to his profession and should be fired or at least forced into sensitivity training. What a total f’ing a-hole.
My heart goes out to this poor young man and his family and friends.
I hope everyone on this site sends this out to everyone they know and asks them to send it along!
Is this not EXACTLY the kind of case that the new Hate Crimes law is designed to handle? And isn’t that law already in effect?
¡Que horror! ¿Como pueden pasar este tipo de cosas? ¿Como un ser humano puede tener tanto odio en su corazón?