State prosecutors said several dozen local residents seized 32 state police who responded Sunday to the confrontation in the township of Tecpan and the neighboring community of Petatlan.
The residents complained of police abuses, saying state police "entered their homes with search warrants, beating witnesses."
MEXICO CITY SAYS EXTORTION GANG RESPONSIBLE FOR SHOOTING ATTACK ON REPORTER
A Mexican rural confrontation resulted in the death of two police officers and three civilians over the weekend. It is unsure who was responsible for the killings. (Fox News)
Residents then led officials to a police patrol vehicle where the five bodies were found. It is not clear how the bodies got there.
A state official convinced the local residents to release the state police, and promised to investigate their complaints. Vigilante groups and police have persistently traded accusations of protecting the drug gangs that are active in the region.
The towns are located near the Pacific coast, between the resorts of Acapulco and Zihuatanejo.