A 21-year-old man escaping from a street mugging and trying to hide has been beaten to death by locals who thought he was a burglar.

Matias Villarino was found dead in the suburb of La Florida, in the Chilean capital, Santiago, on 23rd March.

According to local reports, he was walking in the area with a pal when armed men in a car tried to rob them.

The two friends ran off and separated, and Villarino took shelter in a nearby property.

But the scared homeowner heard him and informed her neighbours via a WhatsApp group that she was apparently being targeted by an intruder.

The woman wrote: “Neighbours, please help, he is in my property, please help.”

A group of residents came out of their homes and believed wrongly that Villarino was a criminal.

It is unclear how many neighbours attacked the 21-year-old man. However, he was kicked, punched and struck with a blunt object, according to local reports.

The emergency services arrived on the scene and found the young man dead.

The victim’s mother, Cecilia Walther, told local media: “They tied him up like a dog and abandoned him there.

“Matias was escaping from a robbery and was mistaken for a burglar, they tied him with a strap, they restrained him so he could not defend himself.”

She added: “How could they do this to him? How?”

Cecilia said: “Why didn’t they just call the police and wait for them to arrive. They could have kept him there without a problem, but no, they beat him to death.

“I did not want to talk to the media, but I saw statements from neighbours saying my son was a criminal. I cannot accept it.”

“My son was an exemplary student and has worked all his life even though he did not need to. His father is a businessman, he has had a good time, but Matias did not like the gifted life.”

So far, there have been four arrests as the investigation continues.