The alleged thief was covered in clingfilm and left to swelter in the punishing morning heat of Santiago (Picture: CEN)

A mob dished out some very sweaty justice to an alleged thief who was spotted attempting to rob a pensioner with a knife – he was stripped naked, then wrapped head to foot in clingfilm and tied to a lamppost.

People took photographs as 32-year-old Valentino Abeyta Barrera sweltered in Chilean capital Santiago’s 27-degree heat, with his underpants around his ankles.

He was left for 20 minutes before police arrived – and the alleged thief refused to explain why he was there, begging the police to free him.

The photographs stirred up discussion online about vigilante justice – and Barrera was freed, as his alleged victim did not make a complaint to police




One commenter, Daniela Montoya Pazo said: ‘They just had to arrest him, not beat him. This kind of things put us at the same level as the criminals.’

Another, Daichi Yuka, said: ‘I would like to do the same thing to the thief who threatened me with a weapon this morning.’

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Police were unable to press charges as the alleged victim did not make a complaint (Picture: CEN)

After Barrera was released and taken to the police station, police said they had been forced to let him go because the alleged victim of the man’s attack had not made a complaint.

A police spokesman said: ‘Unless the man who was tied to the lamppost or his alleged victim want to file a complaint, there is not much we can do.’