Police on the hunt for ‘Mexican Batman,’ who has been duct-taping suspected bike thieves to street poles

Police in Lagos de Moreno, in the Mexican state of Jalisco, are reportedly searching for an unidentified person who has been dubbed the “Mexican Batman” after allegedly chasing down suspected motorbike thieves and binding them to street poles with duct tape.

According to The Sun, at least five men have been found tied to lampposts over the past two weeks, with their mouths taped shut and the word “thief” written across their faces. The unidentified local is said to have taken these measures in response to what has been described as a large rise in bike thefts in the area.

Photos show the alleged thieves strapped to street poles with large amounts of tape wrapped around their arms and bodies. Several of the men purportedly had the word “ratero” written across their foreheads in marker pen, which means thief in Spanish.are

Police are treating the men found tied up as the victims in the case

The person known as “Mexican Batman” also reportedly drew mustaches and cat whiskers on the men, apparently as a kind of calling card. According to reports, the vigilante also left large pink signs above the men that detailed what they were alleged to have done.

The stolen bikes were also said to have been left nearby, seemingly to point to the men’s alleged crimes. Police claimed that the men found tied up are the ones being treated as the victims in these cases. Vehicle theft cases have drawn attention elsewhere too, including one where an Omaha man allegedly stole a car while wearing a “crook” shirt.

Several of the men apparently showed signs of having been beaten, with one reportedly left bloodied and bruised. Police in Jalisco are now said to be searching for the person responsible for the attacks. The first person was reportedly discovered on June 13, when a young man was found tied to a post and left with a cardboard sign that accused him of being a thief. In the days that followed, more men were reportedly found taped up in similar states, seemingly by the same person.

According to The Sun, State Security Secretary Juan Pablo Hernández said that a total of five cases have been reported. He added that although no suspects have been arrested, police have identified two vehicles that they believe are connected to the attacks. The men who were left tied up were reportedly cut down and treated for their injuries.

These events follow a situation in the nearby state of Michoacán, where female vigilantes have reportedly patrolled while carrying assault rifles to protect themselves from the Jalisco New Generation cartel. The group of women is said to have built a homemade tank and roadblocks to help defend against Jalisco gunmen, who are blamed for a rise in homicides in the region.

The cartel, known as the CJNG, has reportedly been described as Mexico’s most violent crime gang in recent years, said to have expanded across the country through attacks against rivals and government forces. 

The group is known for brutal displays of violence and is said to have removed the hearts of victims and hung bodies from motorway bridges as a warning to rivals. Unusual incidents involving vehicles have surfaced in other regions, including a Florida man who tried to steal a helicopter.