Authorities in Sinaloa are on the lookout for a presumed serial killer in Culiacán whose modus operandi appears to be targeting auto thieves.

But he also leaves a signature: the thief has come to be called “El Juguetero,” or “The Toy Man,” for his practice of leaving toy cars on the backs of his victims.

Police believe that the number of toy cars left on a victim’s back corresponds to the number he stole.

The victims have all been found face down with gunshot wounds and signs of torture. Five bodies with such characteristics have been found as of August 7.

The first suspected victim of The Toy Man was found on August 4. A body was located with 11 toy cars on its back, and another in one hand. That same day, two others were found, each with 13 cars.

The fourth body was found in the neighborhood of El Vallado, and the fifth was a man who had stolen a truck from two women, a crime which was recorded on video.

The local prosecutor’s office is trying to determine if the perpetrator is one person, or an organized group which has dedicated itself to this type of crime.

Some residents of Culiacán are hailing the killer as an anonymous hero who is taking the law into his own hands, meting out justice for the victims of the town’s car thieves.

Source: El Heraldo (sp)