Mexico’s ‘Batman’ is going viral for duct-taping alleged thieves to poles

A masked man in Mexico, dubbed "Batman of Lagos de Moreno," has the world debating whether he's a hero or a criminal. Photos have been going viral of several men accused of stealing motorcycles, taped to poles in Jalisco. Now, police are reportedly after the DIY superhero. 

© benoitb

The Mexican Batman's Gotham is Lagos de Moreno, a municipality in Jalisco. In the photos, published by  Mexican journalist Luis Cárdenas on X, some of the alleged thieves were next to the motorcycles they were accused of stealing. 

He even left words like "Ratero," which means "rat," written on their faces and signs describing their crimes. As a finishing touch, he added whiskers to some of their faces. Some reportedly had injuries that needed to be treated. 

While he is getting praised online, according to  El Financiero, Jalisco prosecutor Salvador Gonzalez de los Santos confirmed that investigators are treating the men as victims instead of criminals. 

It all happened in the span of 10 days, with the first case believed to have taken place on June 13, when a man was found tied to a post with a cardboard sign accusing him of being a thief. 

There were also cases reported on June 17 and June 19, with at least five men believed to have been wrapped like a duct-taped burrito. 

© Silver Screen Collection

In some photos, there were two men tied together. This has left people wondering if more than one person could be involved, meaning the Mexican Batman has his very own Robin. 

Needless to say, the news has gone viral with some hilarious responses. "Your friendly barrio hero, Batman," "His residence is in Gotham City, Aguascalientes," and "El Bato-Man" were among a few. 

Mexican Batman seems to be keeping a low profile in his Batcave since there haven't been any instances in over 10 days. So we will have to wait and see if he's getting ready for another spree of fighting street crimes or hanging up his mask for good.  There is also the potential for a copycat to take place in some other part of the world. From what's been happening online, it seems like the public is more than welcome to the idea.