“The kidnapped man remains unaccounted for,” a police spokesperson told PEOPLE in an email on Monday, Feb. 16
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Chris Baghsarian.Credit : NSW Police Force/Facebook
Police in Sydney, Australia are pleading for the safe return of an 85-year-old grandfather who is believed to have been forcefully taken from his home in a suspected case of mistaken identity.
On Friday, Feb. 13 just after 5 a.m. local time, “officers from Ryde Police Area Command received a report that an 85-year-old man had been kidnapped from his home in North Ryde,” New South Wales (NSW) Police Force said in a news release.
The man has been identified as Chris Baghsarian. “Police consider that the man who was reportedly kidnapped may not have been the intended target and are appealing for his safe return,” officers said in the release shared on Saturday, Feb. 14.
“Distressing” images of Baghsarian’s injuries have since been circulating within Sydney’s underworld, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
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City police sources, The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) also reported that Baghsarian had been filmed by his kidnappers in a clip that had allegedly been distributed by his captors.
In an email to PEOPLE on Monday, Feb. 16, a NSW Police spokesperson confirmed they were “aware” of the video when asked about the Sydney Morning Herald report, but declined to go into further detail about it.
“There are no updates at this time – the kidnapped man remains unaccounted for,” the police spokesperson added.
NSW Police Detective Acting Superintendent Andrew Marks mentioned videos and photos that were circulating online during a press conference on Monday. He didn’t go into detail about which clips and images he was talking about.
He said, per a conference video seen by PEOPLE, that the videos were “not ideal” amid the ongoing investigation.
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Marks also directly addressed the kidnappers, saying, “Please release Mr. Baghsarian. Let us know where he is, we’re looking to get him the assistance and the medical assistance and treatment that he requires.”
He went on to urge the kidnappers to “put him somewhere safe,” and police will “do the rest.” He also said that there had been “no ransom delivered to the hostage’s family” at this stage.
“The family are in distress. All they want is their father to be returned, their grandfather to be returned,” Marks insisted, saying that he was “a million percent confident” that the kidnappers “have the wrong person.” The officer previously said that police believe the missing man “is still alive.”
The ABC also released CCTV footage allegedly showing the moment that Baghsarian was taken with a dark vehicle being seen outside a house in the early hours of the morning, before a person walked toward a neighboring property.
Two individuals were then seen exiting the front door and getting into the car, which had driven up to the front of the home, around five minutes later, per the outlet.
Police think that three people, maybe more, bundled Baghsarian into a car before driving away, the ABC noted. A dark Toyota SUV has been identified by police as the vehicle used in the kidnapping, the outlet stated, adding that the car had later been found burnt out near Baghsarian’s address.
Baghsarian’s family is “concerned” for the 85-year-old’s health as he needs daily medication.
“Being a hostage, we really fear for his safety and we’re appealing for a very safe return and to get medical attention,” Marks previously said, per 9News.
“Please release Mr. Baghsarian. Take him to a hospital. Take him to somewhere that’s safe,” Marks continued, adding to the kidnappers, “You have the wrong person.”
Felix Cho, a neighbor of Baghsarian, called the police after hearing loud noises from the grandfather’s home early Friday morning.
“I heard glass smashing, dogs barking,” Cho told 9 News. “The screaming just kept on going and then it was muffled, so I ended up looking outside, and I saw the guy popping into his car and fleeing off.”
Baghsarian’s family has no past links to any criminal activity, 9News reported. The missing man has lived alone since the death of his wife four years ago, according to the outlet.
