Mother missing from DC area for over a week; suspected father of her son, ex-husband arrested
'Her 10-year-old son, Nathan, is her world. ... She would never ever leave him'
WASHINGTON -- Loved ones are searching for a missing 53-year-old mother in the Washington D.C. area, who has been gone for more than a week.
"She's my beloved sister, a beloved daughter and mother, colleague, friend. We want her to come home. Please come forward if you know anything," sister Aileen Forbes said.
As D.C. police continue investigating, law enforcement in Pennsylvania have arrested Russell Ashford, a man with the same name and date of birth as the father of Antoinette Forbes' 10-year-old son.
Beaver County Jail officials wouldn't say what he's charged with, only that he was wanted somewhere else.
Police have not confirmed if this arrest is related to Forbes' missing person case.
Her family did not comment on the arrest. But earlier this week, her sister said Antoinette's disappearance made no sense.
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"Antoinette is a single mother. And her son, her 10-year-old son, Nathan, is her world. Nathan is the center of Antoinette's world. She would never ever leave him," Aileen Forbes said.
Court documents spell out a years-long custody battle between Forbes and Ashford over their child.
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They also reveal Ashford was convicted of assaulting Forbes in 2021. Forbes suffered broken bones to her face and jaw.
A judge handed down a 15-year suspended prison sentence, which allowed Ashford to be out on the streets on supervised probation for five years.
In the midst of efforts to find Forbes, her friends held a vigil Saturday night.
"It's heartbreaking because I'm afraid that she doesn't have that smile on her face now. Please speak up. It doesn't matter how small of a piece of information you may have or think you may have. Everything is so critical at this juncture in getting her back safely," friend Alison Williams said.
"When you are just sitting and waiting and hoping and wanting more information and someone to come forward and say something that they might have seen or that they know, it's agonizing," friend Rachel Clark said.
Another key piece of evidence suggests she didn't leave on her own. Her dog was found home alone, along with her keys, phones, wallet and purse.
