SANTIAGO, Chile — A brutal attack on a gay Chilean man over the past weekend has drawn sharp criticism over the lack of LGBT-inclusive hate crime laws in the South American country.

Doctors in Santiago said 24-year-old Daniel Zamudio had been put in a medically induced coma while being treated for severe head trauma and a broken right leg suffered in the attack on Saturday by unidentified assailants.

Zamudio also had swastika-like shapes drawn on his chest, fueling speculation that neo-Nazis were involved.

SAN DIEGO -- PFLAG San Diego will include a special presentation on cyber bullying at its monthly meeting at 7 pm Monday, Feb. 27.

Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gay (PFLAG) is a support, education, and advocacy organization with chapters throughout the world. The San Diego chapter is an all volunteer group made up of parents, family and friends of LGBT people.

SAN DIEGO -- To commemorate the 20 years that have passed since a local teenager was killed in Hillcrest because he was perceived to be gay, a local organization will host a small ceremony called "San Diego Remembers John Wear" on Tuesday, Dec. 13.

Reports say that the 17-year-old Wear was walking down Essex Street in Hillcrest with a groups of friends on the evening of Dec. 13, 1991, when they became victims of a hate-motivated attack.

California hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation bucked a national trend and rose by 25 percent – nearly all of the increase coming from cities. The most dramatic shifts took place in Palm Springs and San Francisco – both cities with significant gay and lesbian populations.

In Palm Springs, hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation jumped from three cases in 2009 to 14 in 2010. San Francisco recorded six incidents in 2009 and 24 in 2010.