HomeAUTeen Arrested and Charged in Widower's Kidnapping and Murder Case

Teen Arrested and Charged in Widower’s Kidnapping and Murder Case

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A fourth individual has been charged in connection with the alleged kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian, a case reportedly stemming from mistaken identity. This suspect is additionally facing accusations of arson.

Moustafa Ohrok, 19, did not apply for bail in Mt Druitt Local Court today after being charged with the murder of the 85-year-old in February.
Ohrok was arrested yesterday, after Baghsarian was taken from his home in Sydney‘s north in the early hours of February 13.
Chris Baghsarian (NSW Police)

Three other individuals have already been charged and are currently navigating the legal system.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the young man arrested yesterday was involved in the initial abduction of Baghsarian.

Speaking to 2GB radio, Lanyon stated, “We allege that this 19-year-old supplied the firearm used in the initial kidnapping.”

Authorities are actively investigating to identify any additional suspects involved in the case.

In court yesterday, Ohrok was confronted with two distinct charges: property damage by fire and involvement in a criminal organization.

The 19-year-old will appear in Penrith Local Court on the murder and kidnap charges on June 12.

The widower was not the intended target and had been taken in a case of mistaken identity, police have said.

They made several public appeals, urging the kidnappers to release the 85-year-old and return him to his family.

But on February 24, his body was found near a golf club in Pitt Town in Sydney‘s northwest.
Police suspect the perpetrators aimed to abduct a relative of Sydney businessman Dimitri Stepanyan, who lived on the same street as Baghsarian, with the hope of receiving a $50 million ransom.

Investigators believe Baghsarian was killed on the night of February 14 at a makeshift stronghold in Dural, about a half-hour drive from where his remains were found.

A growing number of underworld attacks have permeated Sydney streets, with Lanyon saying the city is dealing with a very different organised crime environment.

“We are seeing young people predominantly being contracted online to conduct very serious criminal activity,” he said.

“There are a lot of young people who are seeing what they believe to be an easy dollar but not understanding the ramifications … the crime of murder carries life.”

Five others, including a 15-year-old boy, were charged today over a separate kidnapping in south-west Sydney.

The group are accused of beating up a bodyguard with a baseball bat and abducting him in his own car before being freed by police an hour later.

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