An investigation is underway following a violent kidnapping incident where a badly burned body of a woman was found inside a torched car, after her eight-year-old son was severely assaulted.
The gruesome discovery occurred after five men broke into a 45-year-old woman’s home in Bankstown, Sydney on Thursday night. They brutally assaulted both the woman and her son before dragging her into an SUV. The vehicle was later discovered burnt out in Beverly Hills, approximately 6km away, with a badly burned body inside believed to be that of the kidnapped mother.
Authorities are unable to rule out the possibility that she was burned alive. The kidnappers, armed with firearms, also attacked the eight-year-old boy with a baseball bat, causing him serious head injuries that required surgery and induced coma. The boy’s 15-year-old brother, who witnessed the ordeal, was also taken to the hospital for assessment.
The boys’ father, who was away on a business trip, is on his way back to Sydney to support his children. Superintendent Rodney Hart described the crime as “horrendous” and noted the unprecedented level of violence involved.
Neighbors reported hearing a woman’s scream that night and described the victim as friendly. Police believe the incident was targeted and not a random act. The family was not previously known to law enforcement, and investigators are trying to determine how the suspects were acquainted with the 45-year-old woman, and whether the incident is linked to gang or organized crime.
Authorities are conducting a thorough CCTV canvass between the two crime scenes and urging the public to provide any relevant information or footage they may have.
