TikTok influencer Jacob Najjar kidnapped, beaten, stabbed and left for dead at the roadside

A TikTok star has been kidnapped, beaten and stabbed before being left for dead at the roadside in a horrific incident.

Jacob Najjar, aged 36, who is a married father of a one-year-old son called Isaac, was abducted, subjected to physical assault, and stabbed over a 24 hour period before being discovered dumped on a street. He was then found by members of the public with serious facial injuries.

Najjar is an Australian TikTok influencer and also owner of a renowned cafe chain called Thirsty Monkey in Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of Australia's largest cities. He was taken from his unit on Grazier Street in the western Sydney suburb of Auburn at around midnight on Saturday (4 November) and forced into a car, according to local reports.

He was then taken to an unknown address where it’s believed he was beaten and stabbed. He was then found at about 11pm on Sunday (5 November) on nearby Lower Washington Drive in Bonnet Bay. Paramedics treated him at the scene for facial injuries and stab wounds before he was taken to Sutherland Hospital in a stable condition.

Najjar has more than 37,000 followers on his Instagram account, @JacobbNajjar, and also more than 56,000 followers on his TikTok account, also @JacobbNajjar. On his Instagram account, he is listed as a motivational speaker and describes himself as “the realest and funniest bloke on the gram.” A week prior to his kidnap and assault, Najjar had shared a video on his business’ TikTok page of him crafting a pistachio spread in his cafe.

Detectives from the Robbery and Serious Crime Squad have reportedly established Strike Force Rowallan to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. The motive behind the kidnapping is not known, but there is no suggestion of wrong-doing from Najjar from local news reports.

Najjar is now believed to be recovering from his ordeal and his injuries. He told police he was knocked unconscious and can't remember how the assault happened or describe his captors, the Australian Daily Telegraph reported. At the time of writing, no arrests have been made.

In the days since Najjar was assaulted, numerous well wishes have been left to him on his various social media pages. One person wrote “Hope your all well brother be strong prayers out there for you.”. Another person said: “Hope you’re home safe with your family.” Another added: “Hope you're doing okay, stay strong.”