A 33-year-old man was beaten and burned alive by a group of about 60 people who accused him of stealing tires from a pickup truck on the federal highway to San Juan Amecac, in the municipality of Cohuecan.
The state government strongly condemned the lynching of Juan Felipe, which occurred Friday night in that area, and declared that there would be no impunity.
Despite the arrival of emergency services, the man died at the scene due to the severity of his injuries; a completely burned-out pickup truck was also found in the area.
Preliminary reports indicated that Juan Felipe was working with his employer collecting scrap metal in a vehicle when they were intercepted by dozens of people, some with their faces covered and others armed, who accused them of allegedly stealing tires.
Fearing an attack by the mob, both men tried to escape in the vehicle they were traveling in, but were caught by the residents, who forced them out and began to beat them. During the attack, Juan Felipe’s employer managed to escape.
However, Juan Felipe was left at the mercy of his captors, who continued to assault him. Minutes later, someone allegedly doused him with gasoline and set him on fire; the injuries caused his death.
The State Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation into the crime of mob homicide and carried out the corresponding procedures for the removal of the body. No arrests have been reported so far.
So far in 2016, at least 80 attempted lynchings or citizen detentions have occurred in various municipalities in the state of Puebla; two of these cases resulted in death.
Source: jornada
