Two males arrested over demise of kidnapped grandfather Chris Baghsarian – after he was tortured in case of mistaken identification

Two men have been arrested in relation to the alleged kidnapping and murder of 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian.

The men were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday morning after police descended on two properties in Sydney‘s north west.

It comes one day after police discovered the body of Mr Baghsarian, 85, close to the Lynwood Golf and Country Club in Pitt Town, near Windsor.

‘Following extensive inquiries, about 6.30am today (Wednesday 25 February 2026), strike force detectives – with assistance from Raptor Squad – executed two search warrants in Kenthurst and Castle Hill,’ NSW Police confirmed in a statement.

‘At the Kenthurst address, police arrested a 29-year-old man. In Castle Hill, police arrested a 24-year-old man.’

They have been taken to Riverstone Police Station, where inquiries continue.

On Wednesday, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told 2GB the two men ‘were assisting police’, with officers still carrying out ‘operational activities’ in Sydney’s north west.

‘Significant investigations have been ongoing. There has been a multifaceted approach – our main thing was to try have Mr Baghsarian returned to his family safely – that was the key priority for investigators,’ Commissioner Lanyon said. ‘To do that, they have left no stone unturned.

‘We have wanted to make sure that we take action against those that are responsible for this. This is an appalling crime.’ 

Commissioner Lanyon said police were ‘very confident’ with the two men apprehended this morning, after officers had reviewed ‘both electronic evidence and CCTV’ footage.

The widower had been missing for 11 days after his abduction from his North Ryde home on February 13, with police saying he was not the intended target.

Before he was found dead, a video made by the kidnappers appeared to show the innocent grandfather’s face covered and his hands tied with duct tape. There were also images circulating of his finger being cut off.

After he was abducted from his North Ryde home, it’s understood Mr Baghsarian was taken to a property in Dural, about 20km away, and beaten before being forced to film a video directed at a gangland figure. 

Commissioner Lanyon described the video as ‘appalling.’

‘That callous disregard for life is the reason that as a police force, the reason that myself as a commissioner, focus on organised crime. These type of offences cannot be tolerated,’ he said.

‘Members of the community do not deserve this to happen and that’s why I’m so proud of our police officers who have continued to investigate diligently to put the persons responsible before the courts.’

No ransom demands were made, with Mr Baghsarian’s family last week describing the 85-year-old as a deeply loved and devoted father, brother, uncle and grandfather. 

‘The kindest person we know – someone who would never hurt a fly,’ the family said in a statement released by NSW Police last week.

‘Chris’s kidnapping feels surreal, and we are struggling to make sense of the fact that he has been taken, and that our family has been caught up in something that has nothing to do with us.

‘We are living through a nightmare we never thought possible.’

The discovery of Mr Baghsarian’s body came one day after the intended targets of the botched kidnapping were revealed as relatives of Dimitri Stepanyan – a one-time criminal who has since become a successful Sydney businessman.

It’s understood Mr Stepanyan, who used to live on the same street as Mr Baghsarian, was contacted by the kidnappers hours after the abduction with a $50 million ransom demand. 

Messages between the businessman and kidnappers over Threema, an encrypted messaging app, showed pictures and footage of Mr Baghsarian, to which Stepanyan said the criminals ‘plugged the wrong bloke’.

Police have remained tight-lipped on any motive behind the incident.