Suspected thief narrowly escapes mob beating by youths in Santiago de Cuba

Suspected thief narrowly avoided being lynched by group of youths who arrested and beat him Santiago de Cuba, allegedly after committing a cell phone theft. The incident occurred this Friday in the Vista Alegre neighborhood of the city. According to testimonies from neighbors sent to an independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labradathe young man escaped more serious injuries despite the beatings he received from the youths on the motorcycle.

Amid cries of “thief and crook”, the motorcyclists attacked the suspected criminal and stripped him naked. A video sent to the independent journalist shows one of the attackers holding a stone and the detainee bleeding from an open head wound.

“The alleged perpetrator managed to escape by running into the street in his underwear while another young man tried to chase him. The others told him to go away,” said Mayeta Labrada on his social media, condemning the use of violence as a form of “justice” and advocating for authorities to intervene in such cases.

Growing vigilance in a context of socio-economic crisis

Scenes of neighbors and citizens catching thieves and taking the law into their own hands are increasingly common in Cubaa country where crime rates continue to rise as the socio-economic crisis deepens, impoverishing the population to unprecedented levels.

Sometimes, the anger aroused by the capture of suspected thieves exacerbates the indignation of neighbors, who, driven by rage, can inflict serious injuries on those arrested. However, most of the time, these incidents end with the suspected thief being immobilized until the police arrive.

This was the case in mid-April when a young thief was caught red-handed inside a house in Mantilla neighborhood by attempting to steal residents' belongings. Neighbors tied him up to prevent him from running away while waiting for the police to arrive.

A few days earlier, in Santiago de Cuba, a group of neighbors tied up a thief who allegedly stole a cell phone in broad daylight. Images shared on social media show the young man's state of anxiety, as well as what appears to be a blow to one of his eyes, which is swollen and closed.

In late April, a man who was nearly lynched by neighbors in Santiago de Cuba after being mistaken for a thief presented his version of events on social media, declaring his innocence and attributing the incident to a misunderstanding.

“I am a worker, it was a misunderstanding,” said Ramon Moya Ramirez, who became the target of popular anger following an incident that the crowd perceived as a theft. Neighbors captured him, tied him to a post and subjected him to violent treatment.