Vigilante duct-taping of bike thieves under investigation

A mysterious vigilante known as "Mexican Batman" has drawn international attention and a police investigation after a series of incidents in which alleged motorcycle thieves were found beaten and duct-taped to lampposts in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco. Authorities have documented at least five such cases since the first was reported on June 13, with subsequent incidents occurring on June 17 and June 19.

The unidentified individual or group has targeted men accused of stealing motorcycles, leaving them restrained in public areas, often with the allegedly stolen bikes nearby. The victims were found with signs placed above them detailing the accusations and frequently had the Spanish word "ratero," meaning thief, scrawled on their faces along with drawn-on mustaches and cat whiskers. Many showed signs of having been physically assaulted.

The radical response has resonated online, where the figure has been dubbed "Mexican Batman" or the "Batman of Lagos de Moreno," with many social media users expressing admiration for the direct action amid frustration over crime. However, Jalisco officials are treating the acts as criminal assaults. State Security Secretary Juan Pablo Hernández...