Dramatic arrest footage has emerged of the two men taken into custody over the alleged kidnapping and murder of 85-year-old grandfather Chris Baghsarian.
The men, both aged in their 20s, were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday morning after police descended on two properties in Sydney’s northwest.
It comes hours after police discovered Mr Baghsarian’s body close to Lynwood Golf and Country Club in Pitt Town, near Windsor on Tuesday, ending an 11-day search for the grandfather allegedly kidnapped from his North Ryde home on February 13.
Early inquiries established that Mr Baghsarian was not the intended target of the alleged kidnapping and had been taken in a case of mistaken identity.
‘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.’
NSW Police have since released footage of heavily armed officers forcing entry into both properties to make the arrests.
One of the handcuffed men suffered an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction when his jeans fell down while being dragged by officers into the back of a police car.
One man suffered an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction during his arrest on Wednesday
The man’s jeans fell to his ankles as he was dragged by officers to a waiting police car
The second man arrested was taken to the police station shirtless and barefoot
The man was also wearing a fake designer T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan ‘original Gucci’.
The second man was shirtless, barefoot and did not get a chance to get dressed when he was arrested at a separate property.
Both men were taken to Riverstone Police Station, where inquiries continue. No charges have yet been laid.
No further information is available at this time.
Police also issued a brief statement on behalf of Mr Baghsarian’s grieving family.
‘We welcome the news of the recent arrests in relation to the kidnapping of our father and grandfather,’ the statement read.
‘As we continue attempting to come to terms with this incident, we ask that media respect our privacy.’
Floral tributes, handwritten notes and a pair of shoes were seen at the doorstep of Baghsarian’s North Ryde home on Wednesday.
The body of alleged kidnapping victim Chris Baghsarian was found on Tuesday, ending an 11-day search
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon earlier on Wednesday praised detectives for their relentless efforts in finding Mr Baghsarian, despite the tragic outcome.
‘Their priority was obviously to have Mr Baghsarian returned to his family safe. Tragically, that’s not the case, but they have been committed to putting those responsible before the courts,’ he told 2GB.
Commissioner Lanyon added that the two men arrested were ‘assisting police’.
‘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,’ he 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.’
It comes as major underworld figures have pledged to kill the ‘fools’ responsible for Mr Baghsarian’s alleged kidnap and murder.
The alleged intended target of the kidnapping was one-time criminal Dimitri Stepanyan, a Sydney businessman and associate of the Alameddine crime family.
Daily Mail revealed earlier this week that Mr Stepanyan’s parents, who lived just three doors up from Mr Baghsarian’s North Ryde home, suddenly left their home on the day of the kidnapping.
Neighbours say they returned to the home for a couple of hours on Monday, shortly before they were publicly identified, to pack some belongings before leaving again.
