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TOWLER ROAD REPORTS

Yesterday I posted about the murder of gay 19-year-old Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, whose body was found decapitated, dismembered, and partially burned by the side of the road near the Puerto Rican town of Cayey. The police investigator suggested that he deserved what he got because of the “type of lifestyle” he was leading.

Today, the paper Primera Hora reports that a 28-year-old man has been arrested as a suspect in the murder and and two vehicles have been seized as evidence. The man is scheduled to be questioned today.

The paper reports that the man was targeted after extensive interviews with Mercado’s friends in the town of Caguas, where Mercado was living. They report that the man offered Mercado money for sex.

Harry Rodriguez of the FBI said the agency is monitoring the case, and is willing to provide assistance, if necessary, in the investigation with regard to DNA evidence.  Said Rodriguez: “The FBI is monitoring this investigation with the police of Puerto Rico because there are federal statutes under the laws of civil rights violations covered by hate crimes.”

Allegations of homophobia against the investigating officer Angel Rodriguez, who suggested that Mercado deserved what he got because of the “type of lifestyle” he was leading, were dismissed by the supervising officer Jose Figueroa Sanchez.

QUEER TODAY REPORTS

QueerToday member Christopher Pagan posted on CNN iReport: ” I am writing to you about a tragic murder that has happened here in Puerto Rico. It has really only made local news simply because we are on this island, but you are the voice of those that are unheard throughout the world. On November 14 the body of a gay 19 year old was found a few miles away from the town in which he was residing in called Caguas. He was a very well known person in the gay community of Puerto Rico, and very loved. He was found on the site of an isolated road in the city of Cayey, he was partially burned, decapitated, and dismembered, both arms, both legs, and the torso.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 3:13 pm and is filed under Home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.