On Air Now

This is the Coast

Midnight - 6:00am

  • 01723 336444

Now Playing

Simon & Garfunkel

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Download

Pair charged with alleged murder of 'mistakenly-kidnapped' pensioner Chris Baghsarian in Sydney

Two men have been charged with the alleged kidnap and murder of a pensioner in Sydney.

Police said the pair are due in court on Thursday in connection with the disappearance of Chris Baghsarian, 85, whose remains were discovered on Tuesday.

The New South Wales (NSW) Police Force said that just after 5am on 13 February, they received a report that Mr Baghsarian had been kidnapped from his home in the suburb of North Ryde, around 9 miles (15km) northwest of Sydney city centre.

In a statement on Wednesday, police said: "Early inquiries established that Chris Baghsarian was not the intended target of the kidnapping and had been taken in a case of mistaken identity."

"Human remains confirmed as being Mr Baghsarian were located about 8am yesterday (Tuesday 24 February 2026) near a golf club in Pitt Town," the force added.

At about 6.30am on Wednesday, detectives supported by the Raptor Squad, which targets serious and organised crime, carried out three search warrants in Kenthurst, Castle Hill and Lake Macquarie.

Footage of the operation shows officers forcing their way into two properties and two men being arrested.

A 29-year-old man was shown in handcuffs leaving a house in Kenthurst, and in Castle Hill, police detained a 24-year-old man.

Officers also seized vehicles, electronics and clothing.

Read more from Sky News:
Man jailed after stabbing girl
Payouts for Swiss bar fire victims
Tracking Putin's 'shadow fleet'

Police from the State Crime Command's Robbery and Serious Crime Squad carried out the investigation.

Officers established Strike Force Chobat, specifically to coordinate the response to recover the 85-year-old.

Both men were charged with murder and kidnapping and refused bail.

They are due to appear in Blacktown Local Court on Thursday.

Sky News

(c) Sky News 2026: Pair charged with alleged murder of 'mistakenly-kidnapped' pensioner Chris Baghsarian in Sydney<

Want to See More from This is the Coast?

Click here to set This is the Coast as a preferred source on Google search.

Love living on the Yorkshire Coast? So do we.

This is the Coast is 100% locally owned and operated. We don’t rely on public funding or government grants—we rely on our community.

Producing trusted, fact-checked local news takes time and resources. If you value having a dedicated team of professional journalists fighting for our region, please consider supporting us.

Help keep the Yorkshire Coast informed for the price of a coffee a month.

Support Local Journalism Today

More from World News

Follow Us

Get Our Apps

Our Apps are now available for iOS, Android and Smart Speakers.

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play
  • Just ask Amazon Alexa
  • Available on Roku

Today's Weather

  • Scarborough

    Sunny intervals

    High: 14°C | Low: 9°C

  • Filey

    Sunny intervals

    High: 14°C | Low: 9°C

  • Whitby

    Sunny intervals

    High: 14°C | Low: 9°C

  • Bridlington

    Sunny intervals

    High: 15°C | Low: 9°C

  • Hornsea

    Sunny intervals

    High: 14°C | Low: 9°C

  • Driffield

    Sunny intervals

    High: 14°C | Low: 10°C

News