Mexican Bike Thieves Should Fear This Vigilante

Mexico's latest vigilante crime-fighter is now wanted by police. Authorities in Jalisco are searching for the unknown vigilante dubbed the "Batman of Lagos de Moreno," accused of nabbing suspected bike and motorbike thieves, beating some of them, and taping them to lamp posts with the Spanish word for thief scrawled on their foreheads, per the Telegraph. In at least five cases since June 13, young men have been found bound to poles alongside bicycles or motorbikes, with cardboard signs warning others against theft; some also had whiskers or moustaches drawn on their faces.

State officials say emergency crews freed and treated the men, who are currently being considered victims of unlawful assault and restraint while the theft allegations against them are investigated, per the Independent. No arrests have been made, but investigators say they've identified two vehicles linked to the incidents. The episodes come amid entrenched crime in Mexico, where carjackings, motorcycle and bicycle thefts are widespread and Jalisco is a hotspot for both robbery and cartel activity, serving as the base of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel.