Police in Mexico are searching for a mysterious vigilante nicknamed “Mexican Batman” after at least five suspected motorcycle thieves were found duct-taped to lamp posts with signs accusing them of theft.
The incidents took place over the past two weeks in Lagos de Moreno, in the western state of Jalisco, where authorities say the unknown individual appears to be targeting people suspected of stealing motorcycles.
Photographs circulating on social media show the men bound tightly to street poles with duct tape wrapped around their bodies and arms. Several had the Spanish word “ratero”—meaning “thief”—written across their foreheads, while some also had fake moustaches and cat whiskers drawn on their faces, believed to be the vigilante’s signature.
Large handwritten signs describing the alleged offences were left hanging above the victims, with motorcycles believed to have been stolen placed nearby.
Despite the accusations, police stressed that the men found tied up are currently being treated as victims of assault. Several suffered visible injuries, including bruises and cuts, which investigators believe were inflicted before they were abandoned in public.
The first case was reported on June 13, when a young man was discovered taped to a post alongside a sign accusing him of theft. Similar incidents followed in the days after, leading investigators to believe the same individual or group was responsible.
Jalisco State Security Secretary Juan Pablo Hernández said five cases have been officially recorded so far. While no arrests have been made, investigators have identified two vehicles believed to be linked to the attacks.
Authorities have since removed the victims from the poles and provided them with medical treatment while continuing efforts to identify and arrest the vigilante.
The incidents come amid growing concerns over rising motorcycle thefts and organised crime in parts of Jalisco, although police have urged the public not to take the law into their own hands.
Officials reiterated that anyone suspected of committing a crime must be dealt with through the legal system rather than through acts of vigilante justice.
