Jorge Steven López's mother breaks her silence

As people around the country prepare to hold memorials and vigils to remember Jorge Steven López and Jason Mattison, Jr., an openly gay 15-year-old who was raped and killed in Baltimore earlier this month, López's mother has begun to break her silence.

"When my son told me he was gay, I told him, 'Now, I love you more,'" Miriam Mercado said in a statement. "I want to tell the world that hatred is not born with human beings, it is a seed that is planted by adults and is fostered creating a climate of intolerance and violence. We must change our ways and understand that anyone... could have been my son. And I want everybody to know that Jorge Steven was a very much loved son."

López's funeral begins later this morning in Toa Alta. And his family and friends will lay him to rest tomorrow.