Son of fashion chain Mango founder arrested over father's death

The son of fashion giant Mango’s founder, Isak Andic, was arrested on Tuesday over his father’s death during a hiking trip in December 2024.

Jonathan Andic was alone with his father when he plunged to his death in the Montserrat mountains near Barcelona, and was taken into custody by Catalan regional police on suspicion of murder.

The fashion retail magnate fell to his death from a height near the Salnitre caves in Collbato, an area marked by steep drops and ravines.

Investigators initially treated the death as an accident, with early findings suggesting Isak may have slipped. A judge closed the case in January 2025 after finding no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

However, investigators with Catalonia’s regional police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, along with prosecutors and the court, reopened the investigation in October 2025 after citing inconsistencies in Jonathan Andic’s testimony, according to the reports.

Family backs son

Andic’s family issued a statement last year saying that it was confident that his son, Jonathan, was innocent, despite what local media reports have been saying.

It said it “will continue to cooperate, as it has done until now, with the competent authorities. Furthermore, it trusts that this process will be concluded as soon as possible and that it will prove Jonathan Andic’s innocence”.

Meanwhile, Jonathan has repeatedly denied responsibility for his father’s death, maintaining that he suffered an accidental fall while they were hiking together at a popular tourist spot.

Who is Isak Andic?

Often viewed as a rival to Zara founder Amancio Ortega, Istanbul-born businessman Isak Andic relocated to Catalonia in northeastern Spain in the 1960s before launching Mango in 1984.

At the time of his death, Andic served as the fashion retailer’s non-executive chairman and had an estimated net worth of $4.5 billion, according to Forbes.

With inputs from agencies