Christopher Pagan of Puerto Rico has sent us the following report of the recent arrest of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado’s alleged killer. Please come Sunday as it will be filmed to show support for the queer community of Puerto Rico and to press for full prosecution of this disgusting crime. THIS MUST BE PROSECUTED AS A HATE CRIME.

“The Criminal Investigations dept of Guayama is keeping under police custody the 26 year old confessed killer of Jorge Steven Lopez.

Officials indicated how Jose Bermudez the accused explained that he went into the center of town in Caguas and then after making a few attempts to pick up a prostitute allegedly Jorge went to him dressed as a woman, and Jose invited him into his vehicle thinking he picked up a female prostitute.

He said that he did not know that it was really a man and they went to his apartment in Cidra, where Steven allegedly told him to have anal sex with him, which provoked anger in him and caused him to murder him.  He also said that Steven tried to stab him, and that he armed himself with a kitchen knife and under a fit of rage he injured him, dismembered him, decapitated him and then later took his remains to Guavate where he was left.

Other allegations of the killer is that in 2003 he was arrested for domestic abuse and that in his youth he was molested and that is why he hates homosexuals.  The authorities said that this case has been advanced and successful due to the cooperation of the local GLBT community.  The agent Angel Rodriguez said that he is being interrogated and will be charged with first degree murder.  He also indicated that he will submit another request to the federal judge to have this treated as a hate crime.

At the suspects home the police found 2 knives to commit the murder, and that they were then thrown in a septic tank.

Christopher Pagan
chrispagansjpr@gmail.com”

Follow his updates at iReport.