Mexico's 'Batman' on the run after allegedly tying suspected motorbike thieves to lamp posts

A mysterious vigilante in Mexico, dubbed the 'Batman of Lagos de Moreno', has reportedly thwarted the criminal activities of several motorbike thieves in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, according to Mexico Daily Post last Friday (June 26).

It all started on June 13 when a young man was found tied up to a lamp post on a street, reported local media.

Next to him was a sign identifying him as a suspected criminal together with the motorbike he had allegedly stolen.

At least five men were found under such circumstances — wrapped tightly to lamp posts with their mouths taped shut — over a two-week period, reported the Daily Mail.

Most were also found with the word 'ratero', which is Spanish for thief, inked onto their foreheads.

Mexican journalist Luis Cardenas posted photos of the men on X on June 24, writing: "In Jalisco, after receiving no help from the authorities, an anonymous hero began hunting motorcycle thieves." 

The men were freed by emergency services and treated for injuries though it remains unclear if any are being investigated for the suspected thefts.

Local authorities have warned that the assaults committed against the alleged criminals also constitute as crimes and must be investigated.

Jalisco is reportedly among Mexico's worst-affected regions for theft — alongside Mexico State, home to the nation’s capital, Mexico City — with more than half of the country's theft occurring in these two states alone.

Local authorities are still investigating the identity of the mysterious vigilante figure and whether they are acting alone.

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