A man suspected of raping and killing a six-year-old girl in Chiapas was beaten and burned alive by angry residents on Friday morning.

Residents of the community of Faja de Oro accused Alfredo Roblero, 37, of raping and decapitating Jarid N., who had been reported as missing on Thursday night.

Although police from the neighboring city of Tapachula had come to arrest Roblero, a mob of angry citizens surrounded their patrol vehicle and pulled him out. They took him to a community park, tied him to a pole and beat him before dousing him in gasoline and burning him alive.

The Tapachula police officers reportedly did nothing to stop the crowd from killing Roblero.

State police officers later arrived on the scene with forensics experts from the Chiapas Attorney General’s Office (FGE) to investigate.

The FGE said it would “not allow the public to carry out justice by its own hand.”

Sources: Milenio (sp), Diario de Chiapas (sp), Proceso (sp)