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[UPDATE] Arrest Made In Puerto Rico Gay Teen Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado Murder Case: A man was arrested in the early morning hours today in Cayey suspect in the murder of George Steven Lopez Mercado, the 19-year-old was brutally decapitated, dismembered and partially burned in an apparent hate crime for homophobia.

"'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,' Rodriguez said early in reference to the newly adopted Law for Preventing Hate Crimes signed in October that President Barack Obama."

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Gay Teen Decapitated, Dismembered and Burned in Puerto Rico: 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.

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This is just horrific. But all the same, it deserves to be acknowledged. As does the reaction of the authorities: "The police agent that is handling this case said on a public televised statement that 'people who lead this type of lifestyle need to be aware that this will happen'.

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.'"

*Update*: Writers at AmeriBlog have created a petition to urge the Department of Justice to have the FBI investigate this case as a violation of our newly won federal hate crimes legislation. To sign the petition, go here.