Police in Sydney are asking for the safe return of an elderly man who they believe was kidnapped by mistake.
Chris Baghsarian, 85, was taken from his home in North Ryde just after 5.00am local time on Friday. Detectives say a group of at least three people forced their way into his house and drove him away in a dark SUV.
Investigators are confident he was not the intended target. They believe the kidnappers meant to seize someone else but went to the wrong address.
So far, Mr Baghsarian’s family has not received any ransom demand.
Mr Baghsarian is a grandfather who lives alone and “needs daily medication”. Officers are worried about his health and say time is critical.
“The family are in distress. All they want is their father to be returned, their grandfather to be returned,” Detective Acting Superintendent Andrew Marks said.
“At this stage, our view is that he’s still alive and we’re looking for his safe return,” he said.
“This is a difficult case because in a normal kidnapping case, we would be told of a ransom. And what I can say is that I’m one million per cent confident that they have the wrong person.”
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that videos and images believed to have been recorded by the kidnappers have been widely circulated in Sydney’s underworld. They reportedly show the 85-year-old tied up and injured.
Mr Marks said the footage was “distressing” and not helpful to the investigation.
“It’s not ideal that those images are out there,” Mr Marks said. “I have seen the videos,” he added. “They are distressing to see an 85-year-old man in that condition.”
Police say CCTV footage from when Mr Baghsarian was taken shows a dark vehicle arriving in the street before dawn. Two people in hooded clothing can be seen approaching the house.
Minutes later, they return carrying a man who appears to be struggling and place him into the SUV. The vehicle then drives away. A burnt-out car matching the description was later found in a nearby suburb.
Police have urged those responsible to release Mr Baghsarian at a safe public place.
They are also asking residents to report any unusual activity, especially at properties that appear empty.
“Let police know where he’s currently located or alternatively drop Mr Baghsarian off at a shopping centre or an emergency department or even a nursing home,” NSW premier Chris Minns appealed to the kidnappers.
“We urge them to do that as soon as possible.”
