UNDER THE LAW The couple has the right to make a citizen's arrest and detain the thieves. UNDER THE LAW Assaulting them and not calling the police is a CRIME. If you don't like the LAW call your state legislators and try to get the LAW changed. Otherwise, you are committing a crime (not my opinion - just the facts).

I am not defending the thieves, but I do believe that the couple's actions were a bit over the line. The thieves shouldn't be stealing, but the couple shouldn't be beating someone that severely over something like a bike. Now they will have to do jail time over a 150-300 dollar item. If they ever catch the thieves they should do jail time as well. In a civilized society, you don't take the law into your own hands. That's how lynchings occurred.

I still think beating the thief so much is not the right thing to do. Maybe restrain them and call the cops, but to just beat up like that is barbaric. Besides that, after reading some responses featured within the article, it makes me think of cases when "theft" is being presumed rather than witnessed. And, speaking in general, misunderstandings can happen as well. What if the supposed thief were not really a thief? For example when some stupid racist makes assumptions, or simply when someone's package came to the wrong address and the addressee noticed that and wants to take what has been misdelivered. No, unless you were assaulted, or something, there must be better ways of dealing with a thief.

It's simple, stealing is not right. Beating someone with a baseball bat is not right. If the people were unable to make a citizen's arrest without weapons until police arrival, they shouldn't have pulled this stunt.

Why aren't the police doing their jobs? I'm not criticizing the police, I'm asking a question. Is it lack of resources and personnel? We can afford to spend trillions on bombs and prisons but we can't afford proper police protection?

There is a big difference between justice and assault, if you wanted to work with the local police to set up a sting operation that would have been a good thing, but taking the law into your own hands when you weren't in danger of bodily harm is another. Common sense was not included in this plan to fix a problem.

If this happened in Texas or Florida instead, the thief would have been shot dead and the couple would have been hailed as heroes for committing man slaughter. Gotta love those "Stand Your Ground" laws. Don't get me wrong. California gun laws saved my life two years ago. And I can't thank that responsible gun shop owner who chose to run a background check and call the cops instead of selling a gun to the man who was going to murder me. They chose to NOT use deadly force. But, it wasn't exactly self defense. I would have taken a different approach. Maybe more along the lines of booby trapping the bike. A simple piece of black nylon cord would have sent Dipshit McTweaker over the handle bars.

All of you who say- they are in the right. You're missing the point. The bike wasn't there left just like that- they set it up only to beat anyone who takes it with bats. That's premeditated and they deserve to get done for it!!! As does a thief.

I don't feel much sympathy for the thieves regardless.

When the police won't prevent, deter, or punish crime, people will do it themselves. I am not a fan of beating people up, but people who are not thieves have nothing to fear from these people. Also, what we are calling "leaving bike out as bait" in this situation would be considered "leaving your bike in a perfectly normal and safe place" in most of the country.

We need more details so we can deposit money to the canteen accounts of these good Samaritans

Islam is right about thieves.

Serves them thieves right. If they don't want to get beaten up - they just... here's a shocker... shouldn't steal!

Come to Texas you'll get shot.

The government sets sting operations all the time for drugs, prostitution, etc. I don't see how these thieves are suddenly victims. You break the law, and there will be consequences in one form or another...

Hurray for Florida and Castle Laws- Here when can outright shoot them if you feel threatened or beat the snot out of them (with non-lethal force) if they threaten your property. :) https://www.gunlaws.com/FloridaCastleDoctrine.htm https://www.uslawshield.com/force-defend-property-florida/

It’s unfortunate they feel they have no other recourse but vigilantism. If those with the means would quit shirking their duty and start contributing (e.g. quitting all their complaining and paying their fair share of federal, state, and local taxes), there would be ample funding for adequate police training and staffing, amongst other public services and infrastructure. Then there would be enough officers to respond to chronic problems like this. I mean, where else do wealthy people think the money for all that comes from?

https://abogadosdeaccidentesahora.com/locaciones/abogados-de-accidentes-en-santa-ana-avenida-grand/

Should not have posted that.

As someone who has had several bikes stolen, it is perfectly acceptable to beat any thief for any theft infraction. These sting operations prevented someone innocent having their bike stolen. So there!

Let me see....1wrong + 1 wrong = yep, still adds up to WRONG

Den Star and Scott M: Bored Panda has hidden your comments for some reason.

Vigilantism is not the answer, society would fall into total and complete chaos. Hold them for police, they will come for a suspect being held, they do not run out too quickly after your house has been robbed, when there is no longer a threat to the people or property, to compare the two situations is ridiculous, small minded and under educated.

Finding blood on the sidewalk is a bit disturbing knowing how it got there.... Scare the c**p out of the thief but don't harm them to the point of a hospital visit jesus. I get why they are so angry and want to hurt the thieves, you just get to a point where you are constantly losing things you've worked so hard for just so some loser junkie can come along and take it. I'd be tempted to do the same thing tbh if i was getting robbed all the time.

It's simple. If it's not yours, don't touch it. Reminds me of a legend of Vlad the Impaler. It is said that Vlad the Impaler was so confident in the justice of his rule, that he placed a cup made of gold at the fountain in the middle of Targoviste citadel, so that all the thirsty people could use the cup to drink but not to steal it. No one would dare. The cup remained there, until the day he died. Everyone forgets that people are animals with instincts. We all think that we're so educated and smart, each of us thinks he's somehow above the rest, but at the end of the day we're just monkeys in suits, that need education. Sometimes, by punishment.

This seems like entrapment....

Everyone is just talking about the laws and the rights and the ways to punish criminals. Doesn't anyone think what are the reasons people resort to such behavior. I bet that usually there is a reason, for example sewere money problems. If there wouldn't be poverty there would only be crime caused by mental illness.

This is not cool at all. This was a set-up just to get footage to put onto YouTube to make money. The whole scenario falls under the heading of Entrapment. This couple put the bike there as bait setting up a camera and alarm system to "trap" thieves.

Where is the clip where we get to see the beating? This is a GREAT idea!

I don't see a problem in this. 1) cameras clearly show people entering the property and attempting to steal things, 2) reports of reoccuring thefts were filed to the police and the authorities didn't do anything about it, 3) wannabe-thieves were just beaten, no serious or life-threatening injuries were made, but next time they will think twice before stealing another thing. I want to be able to go out without fear of being mugged, I want to be able to leave sth in my yard without wondering will it be there later, I want to be able to go out of the house without fear in the back of my head which winders whether someone broke in. Is that too much?

I guess Bored Panda no longer advertises as an art community.