Detectives investigating the murder of a man in Sydney's south-west have charged a teenager over the alleged theft of a vehicle nearly two years ago.
Just before midnight on Saturday 29 August 2020, emergency services were called to Wall Avenue at Panania, following reports of gunshots.
Officers from Bankstown Police Area Command attended and found a man suffering multiple gunshot wounds.
CPR was performed until the arrival of NSW Ambulance paramedics; however, the man died at the scene.
He has since been formally identified as 39-year-old Fares Abounader.
The matter was referred to the State Crime Command's Criminal Groups Squad, who established Strike Force Manifold to investigate the man's death.
During initial inquiries, detectives identified a 2017 white Subaru Forrester had been seen in the vicinity of Wall Avenue, Panania, around the time of the murder on Saturday 29 August 2020.
The vehicle was later discovered on fire at Carew Street, Padstow, about 9.45pm the next day (Sunday 30 August 2020).
Following forensic examination, police identified the vehicle had been reported as stolen from Beaumont Hills on Monday 21 October 2019.
As part of ongoing investigations, detectives from the Criminal Groups Squad, with assistance from Strike Force Raptor, executed a search warrant at a home in Panania just after 6am today (Thursday 21 January 2021).
During the search, officers seized a number of items relevant to the investigation.
An 18-year-old man was arrested and taken to Liverpool Police Station where he was charged with aggravated break and enter commit serious indictable offence, four counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception and possess unauthorised firearm.
Police will allege in court that the teenager stole a Subaru Forrester from a Beaumont Hills home in October 2019.
It will be further alleged the man was depicted in a video holding a firearm on Tuesday 22 September last year. This incident is unrelated to the murder investigation.
He was granted strict conditional bail to appear at a Children's Court on Thursday 11 February 2021.
Investigations under Strike Force Manifold are continuing.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
