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.

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".

The boy's name was George/Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado and he was 19 years old, according to the CNN iReport.

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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."

Puerto Rico has a republican form of government,<41> subject to U.S. jurisdiction and sovereignty.<3> Its current powers are all delegated by the United States Congress and lack full protection under the United States Constitution<42>. Puerto Rico's head of state is the President of the United States. The government of Puerto Rico, based on the formal republican system, is composed of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The executive branch is headed by the Governor, currently Luis Fortuño. The legislative branch consists of a bicameral Legislative Assembly made up of a Senate upper chamber and a House of Representatives lower chamber. The Senate is headed by the President of the Senate, while the House of Representatives is headed by the Speaker of the House. The judicial branch is headed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. The legal system is a mix of the civil law and the common law systems. The governor and legislators are elected by popular vote every four years. Members of the Judicial branch are appointed by the governor with the "advice and consent" of the Senate.