12th suspect charged — and the mystery deepens. A 12th person has now been charged over the alleged kidnapping of a Sydney grandfather, sending the investigation into another dramatic turn. Twelve arrests. One missing grandfather. And the detail police are still keeping secret could change everything…
Police in New South Wales have charged a twelfth person in connection with the alleged kidnapping and murder of 85-year-old Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian, an elderly widower who was taken from his North Ryde home in a pre-dawn raid and later killed in what authorities have described as a case of mistaken identity. The latest arrest, announced in the early hours of reporting on 12 August 2026, involves a 51-year-old woman from Lethbridge Park who has been charged with accessory after the fact to murder. She is due to appear before Mt Druitt Local Court.
Baghsarian was abducted from his home just after 5am on Friday, 13 February 2026. CCTV footage captured what appeared to be a group of masked men bundling the elderly man into an SUV before driving away. Within hours, officers from Ryde Police Area Command had been notified, and the investigation was escalated to the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad under Strike Force Chabot. Early inquiries quickly established that Baghsarian was not the intended target. Police stated they were “a million percent confident” the kidnappers had taken the wrong man. Neither Baghsarian nor his family had any known links to organised crime.
The intended target, according to police and contemporaneous reporting, was believed to be connected to a family with alleged underworld associations. Local media identified links to individuals associated with the Alameddine crime network and the Stepanyan family, who lived on the same street. The kidnappers allegedly planned a ransom demand reported in some accounts to be in the tens of millions of dollars. Instead of releasing their captive once the error became clear, the group is alleged to have continued holding Baghsarian. Police have said the elderly man was tortured on camera, with footage sent to the intended target’s family. When the recipients indicated they did not recognise the man in the video, Baghsarian was still not freed.
Baghsarian’s remains were located on 24 February 2026 near a golf course in Pitt Town, in Sydney’s north-west, eleven days after he was taken. The discovery ended a frantic search that had included appeals for information and concerns for the victim’s health. Baghsarian was known to require daily medication and was living with health issues, including reports of dementia in some coverage. His family welcomed the subsequent arrests while requesting privacy.
The investigation has been extensive and methodical. Detectives have methodically identified individuals alleged to have played different roles: those involved in the initial abduction, those who held and detained the victim, those who facilitated recruitment or logistics, and those involved in the disposal of the body. By late February 2026, two men — Gerard Andrews, 29, and Daniel Stevens, 24 — had been arrested and charged with murder and taking or detaining a person in company with intent to obtain an advantage or ransom occasioning actual bodily harm. Both were refused bail.
In the following months further arrests followed. A 23-year-old man described by Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Marks as a “major player” was charged with multiple offences including kidnap, murder, and firearms and drugs offences. Police alleged he facilitated and recruited others for the kidnapping and detention, and arranged for the disposal of the body. Additional men in their late teens and early twenties were charged with direct involvement in the detention of Baghsarian at a premises in Dural, where police allege he died, and with the later disposal of his remains. By mid-2026 at least ten people had been charged with varying degrees of alleged culpability. The investigation continued, with police stating they believed up to nine or more people had been involved in different capacities.
The charging of the 51-year-old woman in August 2026 marks the twelfth person formally accused in the matter. She was arrested in Lethbridge Park on Tuesday and charged with accessory after the fact to murder. The charge indicates an alleged role after the principal offences had been committed, rather than direct participation in the abduction or killing itself. She was refused bail and scheduled to appear in court the following day.
The case has shocked the public precisely because of its randomness and brutality. An ordinary elderly man living alone in a quiet suburban street was seized in what police describe as a professional-style raid, held against his will, subjected to alleged torture filmed for leverage, and ultimately killed when the kidnappers realised — or were told — they had the wrong person. The failure to release him once the mistake was known has been a particular focus of outrage expressed by investigators. Detective Acting Superintendent Andrew Marks previously described the matter as one that left police and the public “outraged” at the recklessness involved.
Strike Force Chabot has examined multiple locations across Sydney’s north-west, including an abandoned property in Dural alleged to have been used as a temporary holding place. Forensic work, digital evidence, CCTV analysis, and statements from witnesses and associates have gradually built a picture of a group operating with a degree of organisation yet fatally flawed intelligence about their target. The fact that the intended victim lived on the same street as Baghsarian has been cited as the apparent source of the catastrophic error.
For Baghsarian’s family the past six months have been a period of profound grief compounded by the public nature of the investigation. The elderly man had been a widower; the loss of a father and grandfather in such circumstances has left relatives navigating both personal mourning and the demands of a high-profile criminal case. Police have repeatedly acknowledged the family’s desire for privacy while continuing to provide updates on investigative progress.
The broader context is one of serious organised crime activity in parts of Sydney. Kidnappings for ransom, though relatively rare, have occurred in connection with underworld disputes. What distinguishes this case is the complete innocence of the victim and the apparent decision to continue the offence even after the error was identified. That decision transformed a botched abduction into a murder investigation involving a large number of alleged participants.
As the twelfth person enters the court process, the legal proceedings against the group will continue over coming months and potentially years. Some accused face the most serious charges of murder and kidnapping with intent to ransom. Others face accessory or related offences. Each will be entitled to the presumption of innocence; the strength of the prosecution case will be tested in court. Bail decisions, committal hearings, and eventual trials will determine the next stages.
Police have indicated that the investigation remains open. Further charges or arrests are not ruled out if additional evidence emerges. Detectives continue to appeal for information from anyone who may have knowledge of the movements of vehicles, people, or communications related to the events of mid-February 2026. Even small details can assist in clarifying remaining questions about planning, communications, and the precise sequence of events between the abduction and the discovery of the body.
The death of Chris Baghsarian stands as a stark illustration of the human cost when criminal enterprises pursue violent objectives with inadequate or reckless targeting. An 85-year-old man who posed no threat and had no connection to the intended dispute became the victim of a crime that should never have involved him. The successive arrests over six months demonstrate the determination of investigators to hold all those alleged to have played a part accountable. The charging of a twelfth person on the eve of mid-August 2026 shows that the process of unravelling the full network is still underway.
For the community of North Ryde and for Sydney more broadly, the case has been a reminder of the vulnerability of ordinary residents when organised crime operations spill into suburban streets. For Baghsarian’s family it remains an irreplaceable loss. For the justice system it is a complex multi-accused homicide that will occupy the courts for some time. And for the public it is a story that continues to unfold, one charge at a time, as police work to ensure that every alleged participant faces the consequences of their claimed actions.
Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is urged to contact Crime Stoppers or NSW Police. The full truth of what happened to Chris Baghsarian between 13 and 24 February 2026 is still being assembled through evidence, testimony and forensic analysis. The latest charge brings the total of accused persons to twelve, but the pursuit of complete accountability continues.
