A man suspected of trying to kidnap minors has been beaten to death

Local authorities said Sunday (June 12) that an angry mob had beaten to death a man accused of trying to kidnap minors in the state of Puebla. “This is not justice, it is barbarism. In order to determine the responsibilities, competent authorities are already investigating what happened“, Huachinango Municipality Press Releases.

Daniel Picasso, 31, was beaten and burned to death Friday by a mob of about 200 people in Papatlasolco, about 180 kilometers (75 miles) from Mexico City. The police tried to help him, but the neighbors stopped them. When officers tried to take him safely to the patrol car, locals pulled him out and forcibly took him to the playground, where he was beaten while alive, sprayed with petrol and set on fire. The body was recovered only after the locals left.

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The mobilization and allegations against Picasso arose from telephone newsgroups, which reported that a suspected criminal was in the city for kidnapping minors, the report continued. The agency regretted the murder on social media, saying the victim had served as a consultant to the House of Representatives until March 2022.

This type of crime is not new to Mexico. They occur in remote areas where law enforcement is slow. One of the most dramatic events occurred in 2019, in Puebla, where seven men were attacked and burned alive.