Australia Australia - Chris Baghsarian, 85, Sydney, Kidnapped 13 February 2026

[Strangeworld]

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/crime/breakthrough-in-search-for-chris-baghsarian-85-kidnapped-from-sydney-home/news-story/5cce6c316391da3cc84a20b6771cb814

‘Hope is fading’: Grave concerns for Chris Baghsarian, 85, after bombshell discovery​

The crooks behind the kidnapping of a Sydney grandfather sent a hostage video to the family they intended to target - but the family did not recognise the elderly frail victim, according to police sources.

It is understood the target family - who are believed to have links to Sydney’s drug underworld - shared the information with police because they did not recognise Chris Baghsarian, who was pinched from his home in North Ryde at 5am on Friday.

The intended target was instead a known criminal who had family members in the neighbourhood.

Text messages allegedly between the kidnappers and the intended family seen by news.com.au say: “Dumb dumb error, how did use get the wrong house”.

In another text: “My old man would have blown your head off.”


Then: “Good luck, one of your team will give you up”.

This is so incredibly sad - imagine the confusion Chris would have suffered and then to be treated the way he has been treated. At least there is a trail that police can follow having a substantial understanding of who (broadly) is involved IMO. Reassuring that the family of the target were willing to disclose the texts to police. Hoping he is still alive but even his wounds at his age could be life-threatening if he hasn't had some sort of medical treatment.

 

[Lisbeth_S]

They seem to be doing a good job following the trail....Sadly it may be too late for Chris.

I don't think the kidnappers had any intention of returning him anyway, even after realising he was the wrong guy.

This is so incredibly sad - imagine the confusion Chris would have suffered and then to be treated the way he has been treated. At least there is a trail that police can follow having a substantial understanding of who (broadly) is involved IMO. Reassuring that the family of the target were willing to disclose the texts to police. Hoping he is still alive but even his wounds at his age could be life-threatening if he hasn't had some sort of medical treatment.

It's sickening to think of what the poor man has possibly been enduring, and I can only begin to imagine how the family is feeling.

 

[sunspun]

What idiocy!

So what is their purpose in keeping him now that they know it's the wrong guy? Why not just leave him somewhere in public? They sound like some dumb criminals in a movie -- a COMEDY movie. How can they be real?

 

[LadyL]

very disturbing
poor Chris

 

[sunspun]

So they've had him for over a week now? Sadly, I don't think they'll be returning him. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[CooperDyl]

Chris Baghsarian: Police search home as hunt for kidnapped Sydney grandfather continues

A property in Glenorie (about 10kms north of Dural) was ‘surrounded’ today, with a police helicopter circling the location until around 7pm and police officers remaining afterwards. Doesn’t sound like anybody was found there but hopefully we hear if some evidence was located or the investigation progressed.

 

[dotr]

Sydney & New South Wales news | 7NEWS Australia
Feb 22, 2026

'We have new details tonight in the botched kidnapping of an 85-year-old grandfather. Police have revealed they have crucial new evidence after finding a car used in the abduction. We can also show you inside the house where he was held hostage.'

 

[Via Marple]

Chris Baghsarian: Police search home as hunt for kidnapped Sydney grandfather continues

amp-9news-com-au.cdn.ampproject.org

Images from inside that now-abandoned house have now been released.

I think the kidnappers may now be on the run, perhaps trying to leave the country. Don't think they are taking the hostage with them MOO

 

[drsleuth]

This case breaks my heart. A 85yr old man , minding his own business in his own home @ 5am, kidnapped for no reason, probably tortured, god knows for how long. How frightening for him. I imagine the scenarios running thru his families minds.

Police scour bushland for kidnapped Sydney man Chris Baghsarian

Police officers are scouring dense bushland in Sydney's north-west for the missing 85-year-old grandfather, following a police operation overnight.

www.abc.net.au

Police search Glenorie bushland for kidnapped man Chris Baghsarian​

Officers have been seen near a national park and bushland in Glenorie on the fringes of north-west Sydney, following a police operation late on Sunday evening at a property along Vesperman Road in the same suburb.

During Sunday's police operation at a property in Glenorie, PolAir and the dog squad patrolled the area.

Police scour bushland for kidnapped Sydney man Chris Baghsarian

Police officers are scouring dense bushland in Sydney's north-west for the missing 85-year-old grandfather, following a police operation overnight.

www.abc.net.au

 

[drsleuth]

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Items located in a burnt-out car linked to the Dural operation and Mr Baghsarian will undergo forensic testing, as the search operation continues.

Police are scouring dense bushland in the search for abducted grandfather Chris Baghsarian, 10 days after he was mistakenly kidnapped.

Officers have been seen near a national park and bushland in Glenorie on the fringes of north-west Sydney, following a police operation late on Sunday evening at a property along Vesperman Road in the same suburb.

Police scour bushland for kidnapped Sydney man Chris Baghsarian

Police officers are scouring dense bushland in Sydney's north-west for the missing 85-year-old grandfather, following a police operation overnight.

www.abc.net.au

 

[drsleuth]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/sydney-businessman-dimitri-stepanyan-was-intended-target-of-kidnapping-crew-who-grabbed-innocent-chris-baghsarian/news-story/1a3992a15421a7fc574e834d31892f51?amp

Sydney businessman Dimitri Stepanyan was intended target of kidnapping crew who grabbed “innocent” Chris Baghsarian​

Kidnappers who took innocent Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian are believed to have actually been targeting a relative of a Sydney businessman.

Paywalled

 

[drsleuth]

 

[sunspun]

How old is the other man, the "intended target"? Is he a neighbor of the victim? Trying to understand how such a colossal error could've been made.

Did the kidnappers even know the name of the man they were "supposed" to kidnap? I mean, surely the victim would have told them his name in the event. And how hard of a thing is the name to verify??

It's hard to believe they made such a mistake. And got so far as to torture and seriously injure the victim and contact the relatives, all without any inkling of their error.

Imagine having to be told of their mistake by the family of the intended target, the people they apparently had the beef with in the first place! Their ineptness boggles the mind.

So what on earth are they doing now?