Woman Falsely Accused Of Stealing Car Dies After Being Tied To A Tree. Photo

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Woman Falsely Accused Of Stealing Car Dies After Being Tied To A Tree. Photo

A woman died after being mistaken for a car thief and tied to a tree infested with poisonous ants.

The 52-year-old was rescued alive by police but died in hospital from breathing problems caused by severe throat swelling after her windpipe was bitten by the insects.

The victim had gone to help her son who had been bound to the tree by angry vigilantes who accused them of trying to steal a car in Caranavi, Bolivia, around 100 miles north east of the capital La Paz.

Her daughter also received the same punishment but she and her older brother survived and are now recovering from her injuries.

Local reports said the trio were also beaten and burnt using an accelerant.

The shocking incident happened on New Years Eve.

A local radio station published a picture of two of the three people blindfolded and bound to the tree while villagers including a woman with a child in her arms and a schoolboy kneeling on the ground looked on from a few feet away.

Local authorities said preliminary investigations had showed the dead woman and her children, aged 22 and 28, had travelled to the area from La Paz to recover a debt.

The tree they were tied to was a Palo Santo, a mystical tree growing on the coast of South America which is the favourite haunt of colonies of the Brazilian fire ant known for their extremely painful bites.