Ringleader of botched kidnapping fled overseas, police fear

The local ringleader of the botched abduction of Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian may have fled overseas, police fear, as new details about the widower’s alleged killers emerge.

Detectives are also hunting for a third kidnapper captured on CCTV outside the 85-year-old’s home and suspect others were involved in his kidnapping and death.

Social media posts paint a picture of the seemingly ordinary lives of Daniel Stevens, 24, and Gerard Andrews, 29, the two men already charged with Baghsarian’s abduction and murder, in the months before they were allegedly contracted to commit the crime. These include loving messages to their own grandparents, and an apparent fixation with “eshay” culture.

Baghsarian, who lived alone with dementia, was snatched from his North Ryde home on February 13 in a case of mistaken identity.

The kidnappers, police allege, were planning to abduct the father of Dimitri and Dominic Stepanyan, who lived on the same street as Baghsarian, when they mistakenly grabbed the 85-year-old. The Stepanyan brothers, who both have criminal records, are not accused of any involvement in Baghsarian’s death.

The kidnappers intended to abduct Karo Stepanyan, 67, police believe, and hold him for a $50 million ransom. The kidnappers allegedly filmed torture sessions and held Baghsarian at gunpoint, trying to elicit the ransom, which was not paid.

Those videos have led investigators to suspect more people were involved in torturing Baghsarian.

The local mastermind of the botched plot, who police are also working to identify and locate, may have already fled overseas, sources close to the investigation told this masthead on Friday. Police are investigating whether the kidnap plot was orchestrated from overseas.

Baghsarian’s body was found dumped near a golf course in Sydney’s north-west on Tuesday morning, 11 days after his abduction. The body showed horrific injuries from “extreme” and prolonged violence, sources said. Police believe the grandfather died within the first 36 hours of being taken from his home.

Stevens, who was arrested at his parents’ Castle Hill home on Wednesday, attended Castle Hill High School and was an “average dude”, according to a former schoolmate.

“He had a group of friends I saw him with and they weren’t necessarily ‘top students’, but they didn’t do anything out of the ordinary,” said the former schoolmate, who asked to remain anonymous.

Social media posts show Stevens alongside his own family, including posing with his grandparents.

“Love you too gran and grandad,” Stevens wrote.

“Can’t wait to meet the lil guy,” Stevens wrote alongside another photo of his brother and pregnant sister at what appears to be a baby shower posted on New Year’s Eve last year.

Stevens and his friends commented on some posts in pig Latin, a fixture of Australian “eshay” street culture.

“Yeah the oibays,” reads one post on Stevens’ profile by a friend.

Stevens and Andrews communicated using pig Latin during the kidnap plot, police allege, saying they would communicate using “ignalsay”, in a thinly veiled reference to the encrypted messaging app Signal.

Andrews, who was arrested at his parents’ Kenthurst estate, is a cybersecurity student at the University of Technology Sydney. Three months ago, he posted on LinkedIn seeking connections with more experienced peers in the industry.

“Currently building my fundamentals through hands-on labs, projects, and ongoing study, and always keen to learn from others in the field,” he wrote.

“Happy to connect and grow with the community.”

Andrews took a “career break” from January 2024 to July 2025 to “address medical needs” and “complete recovery under professional guidance”, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He also worked as a mechanic and car salesman at Rouse Hill Toyota, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Neither Stevens nor Andrews applied for bail when they appeared in Blacktown Local Court on Thursday. Both were remanded in custody to reappear in April.

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