Son charged as search for missing Sydney mother continues
A 34-year-old man has been charged with murder and kidnapping after his mother disappeared in Sydney’s north-west, with police saying the investigation remains active because her body has not been found.
Police allege 58-year-old Sandra Popovich was last in contact with relatives on Monday afternoon after telling family she was going to meet her estranged son, Ante Popovich, at a car park in Winston Hills. When she did not return home and could not be reached, family members raised concerns and a missing person investigation was launched.
New South Wales Police said detectives began examining her movements and communications after the report was made on Tuesday, June 9. Investigators have since alleged the meeting related to a discussion about borrowing money, and that communications directed towards Ms Popovich before her disappearance were hostile in nature.
Police traced phone movements to South Coast bushland
The investigation moved quickly from the Winston Hills area to the NSW South Coast. Police allege Ms Popovich’s phone was co-located with the accused as he travelled away from Sydney towards regional New South Wales.
At about 1.40pm on Thursday, officers arrested Ante Popovich in bushland along Parnell Fire Trail at Tomerong, about 20 kilometres south of Nowra. Police said he was found sitting in a white Toyota Hilux dual-cab utility. A search warrant was later executed at a property in Sanctuary Point, south of Nowra, as detectives continued to gather evidence.
Authorities said Ms Popovich’s vehicle had earlier been found on Dodson Street in Winston Hills at about 9.30am on Tuesday. The location of the car, combined with the lack of contact from a woman described by police as a carer for elderly relatives, contributed to what officers called “significant concerns” for her welfare.
Community asked to assist with information
Superintendent Barry Vincent appealed for public assistance, particularly from people in Winston Hills and surrounding suburbs who may have seen Ms Popovich, her vehicle, or anything unusual between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning.
Police have emphasised that the matter is now before the courts and that allegations against the accused have not yet been tested. Ante Popovich was refused bail after being charged with murder and kidnapping, and is expected to appear before court again in August.
The case has drawn attention because police have laid the most serious charge despite the fact Ms Popovich has not been located. Such cases typically rely on a combination of circumstantial evidence, forensic material, phone data, witness accounts and other investigative material. Detectives have not publicly detailed the full evidence behind the charges, but have said the search for Ms Popovich and inquiries into the circumstances of her disappearance are continuing.
Investigation remains active
The disappearance has also highlighted the speed with which missing person inquiries can escalate when investigators identify signs of possible violence or coercion. In this case, police moved from a welfare concern to a homicide-related prosecution within days, while still seeking information that could help locate Ms Popovich.
Anyone with relevant information, dashcam footage or CCTV from the Winston Hills area, Dodson Street, the alleged meeting location, or the South Coast areas of Tomerong and Sanctuary Point has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers or local police. Police say even minor details from the relevant timeframe may assist detectives as they reconstruct the final known movements of Sandra Popovich.