Sydney Police Arrest Two Men After Remains Identified in Mistaken-Identity Abduction

Chris Baghsarian, 85, a grandfather from North Ryde, was confirmed dead after human remains located near a Pitt Town golf club were forensically identified, and New South Wales police arrested two men in connection with his abduction. Detective Acting Superintendent Andrew Marks said, “We can now confirm that the remains that were located yesterday were in fact Mr. Baghsarian.”

Baghsarian was taken from his North Ryde home in the early hours of Friday, February 13, with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reporting the abduction occurred at about 5 a.m. Police publicly urged the captors to release him because he relied on daily medication, and family members have been described as devastated by the confirmation of his death.

Human remains were discovered on Tuesday, February 24, with PEOPLE reporting the find at about 8 a.m. near the golf club on the north-west fringe of Sydney. Forensic testing later identified those remains as Mr. Baghsarian, a development confirmed by Marks at a police press briefing that was shared in media clips.

About 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 25, strike force detectives, with assistance from the Raptor Squad, executed search warrants in Kenthurst and Castle Hill and arrested two men who were taken to Riverstone Police Station for further inquiries. The Sydney Morning Herald and other reports named the arrested men as Gerard Andrews, 29, who was arrested at a Kenthurst address, and Daniel Stevens, 24, arrested at a Castle Hill address. Police also executed a third warrant in Lake Macquarie where electronic devices were seized, and reports say clothing and vehicles were seized during the raids.

Video released by police and reported by international wire services captured officers forcing entry into a property during an arrest. Police described the operation as part of extensive inquiries into the abduction and the subsequent discovery of remains.

Early police inquiries established the abduction was a case of mistaken identity. A police release stated, “Early inquiries established that Chris Baghsarian was not the intended target of the kidnapping and had been taken in a case of mistaken identity.” Some reporting links the intended target to a relative of a man associated with a well-known Sydney crime family; that detail has been presented as part of ongoing inquiries rather than a confirmed court finding.

There are differing accounts of formal charges at the close of reporting on February 25. A NSW Police Force spokesperson told PEOPLE that “we are unable to confirm the details at this time as charges haven’t been formally laid yet.” Other reports said investigators expected charges to follow, and one outlet reported late on Wednesday that the two men had been charged with murder and a kidnapping-related offence and were refused bail to face Blacktown Local Court on Thursday.

Commander Andrew Marks summed up investigators’ position, saying investigators believe the case is a “horrible, horrible matter” and that “these people need to be held to account for that.” Inquiries continue at Riverstone Police Station while detectives process seized items and forensic teams complete their work ahead of any formal court filings.