Vigilante 'Mexican Batman' hunts bike thieves and dishes out novel humiliation

An unidentified vigilante, nicknamed Mexico’s “Batman,” allegedly hunted down two bicycle thieves and secured them to a lamppost with tape. The offenders were subsequently discovered with “ratero,” the Spanish word for robber, scrawled across their foreheads.

Authorities said they are searching for the unknown person following a series of incidents in the western state of Jalisco, involving at least five men who were discovered restrained to poles with “ratero” marked on their bodies.

Certain criminals had more humorous designs drawn on their faces, such as cat whiskers and moustaches. Others merely had their mouths sealed with tape.

Officers reportedly discovered the men alongside warning notices and the bicycles they purportedly nicked.

“Mexican Batman” seems to have caught their first bicycle thief on June 13 when local police found a man bound to a lamppost next to one of the vigilante’s characteristic signs.

Four further men were subsequently discovered in the same manner over the following couple of days. Officers also observed that some men displayed evidence of assault, including visible cuts, bruises, and bloodied faces.

Local journalist Luis Cardenes has christened the mysterious attacker the “Batman of Lagos de Moreno.”

According to local media sources, the man’s identity remains unknown. He started dispensing rough justice after growing frustrated with what he described as inadequate law enforcement – much like the fictional superhero.

Authorities are treating the capture of the vigilante as their primary objective, declaring the five men discovered bound to lampposts “are victims” for the time being, with evidence suggesting they were assaulted prior to being restrained.

Upon discovery, the victims were cut free from the poles and attended to by emergency medical personnel. Whether they face any theft charges remains unclear at this stage.

No arrests have yet been made, though police confirmed they have identified two vehicles connected to the suspect.

Mexico has long been plagued by an extraordinarily high crime rate. In 2023, more than 36,000 violent cases of grand theft auto were recorded across the country.