Mexico hunts ‘Batman’ vigilante after alleged thieves taped to lampposts
Police in western Mexico are searching for a mysterious vigilante dubbed "Batman" after at least five suspected thieves were allegedly hunted down, assaulted and taped to lampposts in a series of incidents that have gripped the city of Lagos de Moreno.
The first case was reported on June 13, with four more emerging over the following 10 days in the Jalisco municipality. Each victim was found bound to a lamppost with silver duct tape, unable to move, before being freed by emergency services.
Photographs circulating on social media showed several of the men with fake moustaches and cat whiskers drawn on their faces. The word ratero — Spanish for "thief" — had also been written on them, while pink warning signs detailing their alleged offences were hung above their heads. Bicycles they were accused of stealing were left nearby.
The unidentified vigilante earned the nickname "Batman of Lagos de Moreno" after Mexican journalist Luis Cárdenas reported that the individual had apparently grown frustrated with the pace of local policing and taken justice into their own hands.
Authorities, however, have made clear that the actions are being treated as crimes.
Jalisco Security Secretary Juan Pablo Hernández confirmed police had recorded five such cases and were searching for the suspect. Prosecutor Salvador González de los Santos said investigators were examining the alleged thefts involving the restrained men, but stressed that "at this moment they are victims" because they had been unlawfully assaulted and detained.
No arrests have been made, and the identity of the so-called "Batman" remains unknown.Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com
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