Isak Andic Death Case: Mango Founder’s Son Jonathan Andic Arrested in Spain
Isak Andic, founder of Mango, died in December 2024 after falling in the Montserrat mountains near Barcelona. Nearly 18 months later, Catalan police have arrested his son Jonathan Andic and are questioning him as part of a homicide investigation. Authorities had earlier treated the death as an accident before reopening the case based on new clues.
Spanish police have arrested Jonathan Andic, the son of Mango founder Isak Andic, in connection with the death of his father, who fell from a mountain in Catalonia in December 2024.
The arrest marks a significant development in a case that was initially treated as an accident but has since been reclassified as a possible homicide by investigating authorities in Spain. Ted Turner Dies: CNN Founder, Brash and Outspoken Television Pioneer, Passes Away at Age 87.
Death During Hiking Trip Near Barcelona
Isak Andic, aged 71, died after apparently falling around 100 metres into a ravine while hiking in the Montserrat mountains near Barcelona. He was reportedly on the hike with his son Jonathan at the time of the incident.
The death prompted widespread tributes from political leaders, journalists and figures in the global fashion industry, as Andic was widely recognised as the founder of the international fashion chain Mango. At the time, early assessments by the Catalan police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, treated the incident as an accident. Shiv Ratan Agarwal, the Founder of Bikaji Foods, Dies of Heart Attack Days After Wife's Bypass Surgery.
Investigation Shifted to Suspicion of Homicide
In the months following the incident, judicial sources and investigators told Spanish media outlets including El País and La Vanguardia that the case was being reconsidered as a potential homicide.
According to reports, while no direct or conclusive evidence was initially found, investigators identified a set of indications that led them to move away from the accident theory. La Vanguardia also reported that a judge changed Jonathan Andic’s status from witness to potential suspect in September last year.
On Tuesday, the Mossos d’Esquadra confirmed that Jonathan Andic, who serves as vice-chair of the Mango board, had been arrested and was being questioned. A family spokesperson confirmed the development, saying he was cooperating with authorities.
“The cooperation has been, and will remain, total,” the spokesperson said, adding that the family was confident of Jonathan Andic’s innocence.
Following earlier reports of the investigation being treated as a possible homicide, the Andic family had issued a statement expressing confidence in Jonathan Andic’s innocence and support for the legal process.
The statement said: “The Andic family has not and will not comment on Isak Andic’s death in all these months. “However, they wish to show their respect for the ongoing investigations and will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities, as they have done so far. They are also confident that this process will be concluded as soon as possible and that Jonathan Andic’s innocence will be proved.”
Born in Istanbul in 1953 to a Sephardic Jewish family, Isak Andic moved to Catalonia in the late 1960s with his relatives. He began his career selling T-shirts to schoolmates before gradually expanding into wholesale and street-market clothing sales.
He founded Mango in 1984, opening the first store after identifying a growing demand for accessible fashion. Over the following decades, Mango expanded across Europe and beyond, becoming one of Spain’s most recognisable global retail brands.
As Mango’s global retail director César de Vicente told Agence France-Presse: “He saw that we needed colour, style,” He added: “realised that having the same name, having the same brand, in all the shops would make the concept much stronger”
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 19, 2026 07:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
