Marcelo Lucero, 37, was stabbed to death Nov. 8 in Patchogue, allegedly by seven teenagers in what Suffolk police labeled a hate crime. One of the teenagers was charged with manslaughter as a hate crime. The others face gang assault charges.
Schoolchildren in uniforms, girls in blue or red sweaters and plaid skirts, and boys in yellow shirts and black pants, crowded the mile-long processional route as Lucero's childhood friends carried his body. First they stopped at City Hall for a brief ceremony under a blazing sun. Then they made their way to the spacious house Lucero built for his mother, Rosario. Hate and tragedy on Long Island Lucero had planned to finally return to Ecuador soon to live with her and his sister Isabel after 15 years in the United States without ever visiting home."An innocent man had to die so people would realize the racism occurring against Latinos on Long Island," Juan Pablo Jadan, 38, leader of a group of Lucero's childhood friends known as the TUNAS, said in Spanish."A natural death is one thing," the former Patchogue resident added. "Dying because of violence, racism and hate is another."Dressed in black suits, the friends took turns carrying their friend's coffin up the hilly streets of this city of 20,000 people. In front of them, two carried a sign made of flowers that spelled TUNAS, an acronym in Spanish for "Everyone United, No One Walks Alone."
Some schoolgirls held hands and raised them in salute as the coffin passed. Others waved small white flags that said "Paz" - "Peace." Other people threw flower petals on the coffin as it went by, while some mourners watched from balconies.Lucero's mother and sister walked arm-in-arm behind the coffin as hundreds of mourners followed.Later, outside their home and with Lucero's body at rest inside, Isabel came out to a throng of television cameras and microphones to demand severe punishment in the case and an end to racism in the United States."We don't want the criminals who did this to end up laughing because they think it is a joke," she said. "We want justice to be done so my brother can rest in peace."
Lucero's body arrived from New York to the capital Quito late Tuesday, then traveled in a hearse overnight 200 miles south to his hometown of Gualaceo. Hundreds of people waited in the morning at the city's entrance for his arrival at about 9:30 a.m.The city's mayor declared three days of mourning, with flags flown at half-staff and public employees given time off to attend services.Some mourners said Lucero's killing has provoked worries that their loved ones in Patchogue and throughout the United States could be in danger. "This has caused panic because so many people have relatives there," Teresa, 58, said in Spanish. She did not give her last name, saying she feared it could lead to harm against her relatives.
Inside the family's house, Lucero's body lay at rest on the first floor as mourners paid their respects throughout the afternoon. His friends from TUNAS watched over him from chairs next to his coffin. A portrait of Lucero in a baseball hat was propped on a chair.He was finally inside the dream home he wanted to give his mother with his hard work on Long Island, a mission that ended up costing him his life.

 Edit Post