November 9, 2008 11:24 PM
(By Pat Young) Marcello Lucero was killed in what Suffolk Police are calling a hate crime. He was stabbed in Patchogue Saturday night by a group of teenagers apparently looking for Latinos to target. Information on this case is sketchy thus far, but Newsday has the most complete report.
Here is my analysis on the background to this crime.
Here is an excerpt from the Newsday report:
Marcello Lucero, 37, is of Ecuadorian descent.
Fitzpatrick said the seven suspects drove around Patchogue searching for victims and found Lucero and another Ecuadorian man.
The suspects jumped out of the car and cornered the two men on the street, police said. Police said the second man escaped unharmed and fled to a friend's house, where he and Lucero had planned to watch a movie. He called police and later helped police identify the suspects.
The friend who had been waiting for them, Elder Fernandez, 36, said the mob fled and he found Lucero near Funard Court, a few hundred feet from where police said the stabbing took place, covered in blood, Fernandez said.
Lucero was transferred to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. His relatives could not be reached last night.
Fernandez said he has known Lucero since they were 10 years old in Ecuador. "I saw my friend's last minute," he said. "It was miserable."
The teenagers, all of whom are white and who live in either East Patchogue or Medford, have been charged with what police say is a hate crime.
All seven teenagers face a charge of first-degree gang assault. They were being held overnight at the Fifth Precinct in Patchogue and will be arraigned in First District Court in Central Islip today.
One suspect, Jeffrey Conroy, 17, of 189 Jamaica Ave. in Medford, was charged with first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime, said Fitzpatrick.
Visit the Marcelo Lucero Action Page for up-to-the-minute info
We have created a page for daily updates on the murder as well as steps you can take to make sure it does not happen again.
I'm stunned. But I'm not surprised. Please continue to update the LIW community on any ways we can support the victims of this atrocious act.
By Van November 10, 2008 08:04 AM
LOOK UP JORDAN DASCH ON MYSPACE IN NEW YORK
HE SAYS I'M A NAZI JEW
By Redacted November 10, 2008 06:07 PM
This is very bizarre - and a clue to where we stand in race relations. Of the 7 boys charged, one is African-American, and one is named Jose Pacheco - and they murdered another minority member! The others are caucasion.
No one is this group raised a red flag and stopped this?
By JJ November 12, 2008 04:45 AM
I wish I could rewind time and undo the awful fate of Marcelo Lucero. I am engulfed in sadness and disgust by what happened.
I hope that justice is served.
One of the 7 boys is 1/2 african-american, 1/2 puerto rican. This is further troubling to me, even if his uncle is relaying the truth (in saying that his nephew was just looking for a ride home and had no idea this was going to happen). He was still not man enough to step in. None of them were. They deserve to have their futures taken away from them and rot in prison.
By jungular November 14, 2008 04:28 PM
Terrible crime, but no reason to keep illegal immigrants here. The fellow who stabbed and murdered the guy will go to prison, end of story. Illegal immigration has to be stopped. It will only cause more problems. It is not PC, but you all know that the illegals take out more from the system than they put in to it. In addition, this is a white nation, and the illegals cause a LOT of cultural destruction in the areaa that they settle, just like they did in their homelands. It is time to say "Adios" to all illegals in this Nation, once and for all. I know that you disagree, but you do not realize that you are just tools for the destruction of the cultural and economic basis for this Nation. Then again, maybe that is what you want.
By John November 15, 2008 01:38 PM
My understanding is that the teens were looking for Mexicans in general, and not "illegals". I am also sure that they did not stop to ask Mr. Lucero to see his papers before viciously killing him. There is NO justification for this death.
By Latina November 17, 2008 10:23 AM
These kids had too much time on their hands.
By Frank McEvoy November 26, 2008 05:50 AM
It's pathetic that a whole gang of people can do that to one man. It's disgusting that these type of people exist in our society.
By Ajlouny December 15, 2008 11:58 PM
How sad, John, that you see the murder of a person who lived here legally ( I do not know if heas a citizen or a legal resident) and you just use it as an excuse to talk about illegal immmigration. There is no justification for a hate crime!! It is cruel and dehumanizing to see the murder of a child to express your views on immigration. So if the kid had been an illegal, the the murder would have been alright? I bet deep down inside you're happy another one was killed, one less illegal immigrant to worry about right? Hilter would be proud of you!
By Kathy December 19, 2008 10:59 AM