Suspect arrested in brutal slaying of gay man in Puerto Rico

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Suspect arrested in brutal slaying of gay man in Puerto Rico
By Arthur Brice, CNN

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Activist attributes ill will toward gays to some religious, political leaders' "hate rhetoric"
• Puerto Rican gay community wants police to see if slaying was a hate crime
• FBI is monitoring investigation and is prepared to offer help, agent says
• Suspect, 27, set to attend court hearing Tuesday at which charges will be lodged

(CNN) – A suspect has been arrested in the slaying of a 19-year-old Puerto Rican man found
Friday decapitated, dismembered and partially burned, police said Tuesday.

The U.S. gay community is asking authorities to investigate whether the slaying was a hate crime
because the victim, Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, was gay, said Pedro Julio Serrano of the
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

"The brutality of the slaying and the fact that he was openly gay leads us to believe it was very
possibly a hate crime," Serrano said.

Authorities are investigating whether the killing involved sex, Guayama police Commander
Hector Agosto Rodriguez told CNN affiliate WLII TV.

Guayama prosecutor Jose Bermudez identified the suspect as John A. Martinez, 26. Police had
earlier described him as a 27-year-old man from the interior Puerto Rican town of Cayey.

Martinez was scheduled to attend a court hearing late Tuesday afternoon at which charges would
be lodged, Bermudez said.

The FBI was not directly involved in the investigation Monday, said FBI Agent Harry Rodriguez
of the San Juan office.

"The FBI is monitoring this investigation by police in Puerto Rico," Rodriguez said. "Any
assistance that the police requests or requires, we would be more than happy to provide."

Puerto Rican authorities may ask for help with forensics or other advanced investigative tools the
FBI could provide, Rodriguez said.

The U.S. attorney's office, in consultation with local officials and other agencies, would
determine if the slaying was a hate crime, which is a federal offense.

"It's at a very preliminary stage," said Lymarie Llovet, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's
office in San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital.

Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, which means federal agencies have jurisdiction.

"There's the potential for a federal investigation," Rodriguez said.

The suspect was arrested Monday around 11:30 p.m. AST at his home in the Mogote de Cayey
neighborhood, said Wilson Porrata Mariani, spokesman for the Guayama police district, which
has jurisdiction in the case.

Police impounded two cars and also are investigating a home in another neighborhood, Huertas
del Barrio Beatriz de Cidra.

Lopez Mercado's body was found on Puerto Rico Road 184 in another part of town, Barrio
Guavate de Cayey, police said.

The slaying has reverberated throughout the gay and lesbian community in the United States,
where supporters started a Facebook page called "Justice for Jorge Steven Lopez -- End Hate
Crimes." The group demands an investigation by Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno and prosecution
of the slaying under the Federal Hate Crimes Law.

The law was enacted in 1969 to guard the rights of any U.S. citizen engaged in any of six
protected activities, such as voting, going to school, applying for a job or attending a public
venue. Last month, President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr.
Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which extends federal protection against illegal acts motivated by a
person's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Gay activist Serrano said he does not believe anti-gay sentiment is any stronger in Puerto Rico's
Latin culture than anywhere else.

"That's a long-debunked myth, that our culture is more homophobic," Serrano said.

Instead, he attributed any ill will toward gays to "hate rhetoric" by some religious and political
leaders. One politician, he said, recently referred to gays as "twisted and mentally ill."

"That's the kind of rhetoric that incites violence against gays," Serrano said.

Equality Forum, an international gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights organization, asked
for a federal investigation.

"Equality Forum calls on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to have the FBI investigate," said
former federal prosecutor Malcolm Lazin, the group's executive director. "The Matthew Shepard
Amendment empowers and requires the federal government to prosecute this horrific murder."

Serrano said Lopez Mercado was a "very, very dear friend" he had met through a mutual
acquaintance.

"Jorge was a person who you only needed one minute to fall in love with," Serrano said.

Lopez Mercado often volunteered for gay causes, Serrano said.

The teen's family is coping, considering the circumstances.

"It has been horrible, but they are very grateful that it has come to a quick resolution," Serrano
said.