A TikTok star who was kidnapped and stabbed before being dumped on the side of the road has shared a video showing him happily working in his cafe days earlier.
Jacob Najjar, the owner of popular restaurant Thirsty Monkey, was dragged from his unit on Grazier Street in Lidcombe, in Sydney’s west, around midnight last Saturday.
After Mr Najjar was kidnapped, the 36-year-old was taken to an unknown address where he was allegedly beaten and stabbed.
He was detained for 24 hours before being dumped on Lower Washington Drive in Bonnet Bay in Sydney’s south on Sunday evening, about 30km from where he was kidnapped.
Mr. Najjar had appeared in a TikTok video uploaded to his company’s social media page on October 28, a week before his kidnapping.
The kidnapping also took place almost a year after Mr. Najjar welcomed his newborn son into the family.
Days before his kidnapping, Jacob Najjar (pictured) was seen in a video posted to the Thirsty Monkey TikTok page showing the cafe owner preparing a pistachio spread.
A smiling Mr Najjar was seen in the video preparing a pistachio spread.
Mr. Najjar is dressed in a black shirt and black sweatpants, his back turned to the camera as he stands over a large black electric mixer.
“I couldn’t get my hands on pistachios anymore because my supplier couldn’t meet my demand,” he said.
“So I became my own supplier.”
The video then cuts to the mixer churning large quantities of dough.
“Look at this,” Mr. Najjar said, beaming. “We make our own pistachios now. »
Moments later, he is seen pouring the silky mixture into a small container.
“Look how well everything is going now,” he said. “Might even change careers…start doing spreads.”
He then joked: “Remember one thing: if there’s no baby monkey, it’s not a thirsty monkey.”
Mr Najjar (pictured) is the owner of popular restaurant Thirsty Monkey and enjoys a considerable following on social media.
The business owner recently became a father and took to Instagram to announce the birth of his son (pictured)
The video appears to have been filmed in a warehouse with boxes and wooden pallets stacked against the wall.
A motorbike could be seen parked behind Mr Najjar as he poured the pistachio spread into the container.
Mr Najjar opened cafes in Parramatta, Wentworth Point and Marrickville, with his business a hit with locals.
His professional TikTok page has over 20,000 followers while his personal Instagram account has over 37,000.
Shocked residents found Mr Najjar suffering from facial injuries and stab wounds on a quiet suburban street the night he was abandoned by his attackers.
Residents who found him called triple 0 and paramedics treated him at the scene before rushing him to Sutherland Hospital.
Mr Najjar told police he lost consciousness and could no longer remember how the attack happened or what his captors looked like. Today’s telegraph reported.
New South Wales Police released a statement revealing that an investigation had been launched into the matter.
Mr Najjar was found with stab wounds lying in the street in Sydney’s south last Sunday before residents who found the 36-year-old called the ambulance to the scene.
The reason for the kidnapping is not known. No arrests or charges have yet been made.
Mr. Najjar was kidnapped almost a year after announcing the birth of his son.
He posted a gushing Instagram post sharing a photo of his newborn.
“I will protect you forever,” he wrote.
He has previously been photographed with senior members of the Alameddine gang.
Daily Mail Australia does not suggest any wrongdoing on Mr Najjar’s part.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Mr Najjar (bottom right) was previously photographed with Alameddine gang associates John-Ray Baysarri (top left), Murat Gulasi (top centre) and Masood Zakaria (top right).
