A mystery vigilante in Mexico has sparked a bizarre manhunt of his own after allegedly hunting down suspected motorbike thieves and leaving them taped to lampposts across town.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!In scenes that sound more like something ripped straight out of a comic book than real life, at least five men have been found duct-taped to street poles in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, over the space of just 10 days.
As reported by the New York Post, the unusual incidents reportedly began on June 13, with local authorities now trying to track down the masked — or at least unknown — figure behind them.
But while the vigilante’s actions have drawn attention online, police aren’t exactly handing out medals.
Instead, they’re treating the tied-up men as victims.
According to State Security Secretary Juan Pablo Hernández, an investigation has now been launched to identify and arrest whoever is carrying out the attacks.
And the scenes left behind have been hard to ignore. In images shared to X by Mexican journalist Luis Cárdenas, the alleged thieves have reportedly been discovered taped to posts with the word “ratero” — Spanish for “thief” — written across their heads.
Some also had moustaches and cat whiskers drawn on their cheeks, adding an almost mocking twist to the punishments.
In several of the cases, the supposedly stolen motorbikes were left parked nearby, seemingly as evidence of the alleged crimes.
One particularly striking image showed two men taped back-to-back against a lamppost, with a pink sign hanging above them outlining the accusations, The Sun reports.
It’s that detail — the signs, the markings, the staged bikes — that has led many online to compare the mystery figure to a caped crusader.
Social media users quickly gave him the nickname the “Batman of Lagos de Moreno” — or simply the “Mexican Batman.”
The comparison has spread fast, with photos of the taped-up suspects circulating widely online.
But for all the internet jokes and memes, the consequences have reportedly been serious.
At least one of the men was said to have been left bloodied and bruised following his encounter with the vigilante.
All of the men were eventually cut free and treated for their injuries.
It remains unclear whether any of them are being formally investigated over the alleged thefts.
Authorities have not yet made any arrests, but police have reportedly identified two vehicles they believe may be linked to the incidents.
So far, no suspect has been named.
The strange run of vigilante justice comes at a tense time in parts of Mexico, where communities in some areas have increasingly taken security into their own hands.
In nearby Michocoán, groups of women have reportedly armed themselves with assault rifles in a bid to protect their towns from the Jalisco New Generation cartel.
Some have even gone as far as building a homemade tank and setting up roadblocks to fend off gunmen blamed for rising local homicides.
That wider backdrop has only added fuel to the debate around the “Batman” figure.
For some, he’s seen as dishing out rough justice in response to rising crime.
For police, though, he’s just another suspect — regardless of who he’s targeting.
And until he’s caught, it seems the streets of Lagos de Moreno may still have their own real-life vigilante prowling the night.
Featured image credit: X/@LuisCardenasMx (screenshot)
