NEWARK, Calif. -- Police in Newark say Eddie Araujo had been dressing like a woman for some time and that it's possible his cross-dressing lifestyle cost him his life.

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"It's really sad that people remembered him as 'the person who tried to act like a girl' or whatever. That wasn't him and if you knew him, you wouldn't care at all," said Valerie Wynn, a friend of Araujo.

The last time friends saw Araujo alive was at a house party in Newark two weeks ago when the 17-year-old reportedly got into a fight with several people who were possibly upset over the fact that he dressed like a woman.

Suspected of the crime are Michael Magidson, 22, Jaron Nabors, 19, and brothers Paul Merel Jr., 25, and Jose Merel, 24. The Merels live in the house where the party was held, officials said.

Earlier this week, one of the four men arrested for his murder led police to Araujo's body buried near a campground in Placerville.

A preliminary autopsy indicates Araujo suffered from blunt trauma to his head and was found to be wearing women's clothing when the body was removed from the crime scene.

The FBI is now looking into whether the four men should be charged with a hate crime, since Aruajo might have been killed because of his alternative lifestyle.

The four men were expected to be arraigned Friday on murder charges at the Fremont Hall of Justice.