Mango Heir Arrested in Father's Death Probe

Jonathan Andic (45), son of Mango fashion chain founder Isak Andic, was arrested Tuesday and named a suspect in the investigation into his father's December 2024 death. Judge Raquel Nieto Galvan set bail at €1 million with conditions including surrendering his passport and weekly court appearances.

Isak Andic (71) died after falling approximately 500 feet from a cliff while hiking near Barcelona with family members, according to CBS News. Police initially treated the case as an accident but reopened it in March 2025 due to inconsistencies in Jonathan's testimony and other clues suggesting homicide.

A family spokesperson confirmed cooperation with authorities and expressed confidence in Jonathan's innocence. 'The cooperation has been and will remain total,' the spokesperson said, according to Reuters. The Andic family owns 95% of Mango, which operates nearly 3,000 stores worldwide.

Isak Andic was born into a Sephardic Jewish family in Istanbul before moving to Catalonia in the late 1960s. He founded Mango in Barcelona in 1984 with his brother Nahman. The company reported €3.8 billion ($4.4 billion) in sales for 2025, according to Reuters.

According to BBC and Reuters, Judge Nieto Galvan cited several pieces of evidence suggesting premeditation in the case. Investigators believe that the kind of slip Jonathan described his father as suffering would have been unlikely in the spot where the fall happened. The position of Isak Andic's body and injuries were inconsistent with an accidental fall, appearing 'as if he had launched himself down a slide, feet first,' according to forensic reports.

The judge also noted contradictions in Jonathan's testimonies regarding his own position when his father fell. In one statement, he said he was ahead of his father, but in another they were closer together. Additionally, Jonathan initially told police that his father had been taking photos with his phone moments before the fall, yet the phone was found in Isak Andic's pocket when his body was recovered.

Investigators also raised suspicions about three visits by Jonathan to the site of the fall on December 7, 8, and 10. The judge said these visits signaled 'a planning and study of the site.' Furthermore, Jonathan's phone disappeared around the time media reports surfaced about the reopening of the investigation. He told police that his device had been stolen during a brief trip to Ecuador.

The investigating magistrate suggested a possible motive in the nature of Isak Andic's relationship with Jonathan, particularly regarding the Mango business. Text messages exchanged between them highlighted difficulties and tensions created by Isak's plans to create a charitable foundation. According to the judge, Jonathan exercised 'emotional manipulation over his father in order to achieve his economic objectives' and had expressed 'feelings of hatred, resentment, ideas related to death and blame' aimed at Isak.