WASHINGTON, DC — A man convicted in a 2021 domestic violence case involving missing D.C. woman Antoinette Forbes has been jailed in Pennsylvania on a warrant from Montgomery County, Maryland.
Pennsylvania State Police told WTOP that Russell Ashford, 65, is being held in Beaver County, near Pittsburgh, while he awaits extradition for a probation violation. Montgomery County officials say the warrant is connected to the earlier assault case.
Forbes, 53, was last seen Sept. 4 on the 3200 block of Nebraska Avenue NW. Police have not said Ashford is a suspect in her disappearance.
Pennsylvania hold follows Montgomery County probation warrant
Authorities say Ashford’s current custody stems from a warrant issued in Montgomery County, where he had already been convicted in the June 2021 assault case. He is now being held in Beaver County while the extradition process moves forward.
The Pennsylvania State Police confirmed the jail status after WTOP asked about Ashford’s location. The agency said the hold is tied to the Maryland warrant and a probation violation, not a new criminal charge in Pennsylvania.
The case has drawn attention because of Forbes’ disappearance and the earlier history between the two. Even so, police in Montgomery County and the District have not publicly identified Ashford as a suspect in the missing-person investigation.
2021 Chevy Chase assault ended after neighbors stepped in
Court records and a police report describe a violent episode inside a Chevy Chase home in June 2021. A neighbor first heard the couple arguing, then went inside and saw Ashford punching Forbes as she lay motionless on the floor.
When officers arrived, arrest records said Ashford was sitting on the curb and told an officer that he “had just beat up his ex.” Police said Forbes was in and out of consciousness and had fractures in her face and left hand, along with cuts, bruising, swelling and a concussion.
Neighbors helped stop the attack and also helped get the couple’s young son out of the house.
Forbes was last seen on Nebraska Avenue NW earlier this month
Forbes was last seen on Sept. 4 in the 3200 block of Nebraska Avenue NW in the District, according to police information cited by WTOP. Friends held a vigil for her over the weekend as the search continued.
Neither D.C. police nor Montgomery County police has said whether the old assault case is directly connected to her disappearance. Officials have also not said what happened after Forbes was last seen.
The missing-person case has renewed public focus on the prior domestic violence conviction, but investigators have not publicly linked the two matters.
Police records describe serious injuries and a hospital statement
According to the police account, Forbes told officers at the hospital that she and Ashford were arguing over sending their young son back to school when he threw her onto the kitchen floor and began beating her.
Investigators said the injuries were severe enough to leave her repeatedly losing consciousness. The reported fractures, concussion and visible trauma underscored the seriousness of the assault that led to the 2021 case.
The records also say neighbors were important in ending the violence. Their intervention appears to have prevented the situation from becoming even worse and allowed the child to be removed from the home.
What prosecutors and police have said since the warrant surfaced
The Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office said the Pennsylvania warrant is linked to the June 2021 case. That office has not detailed the probation issue beyond confirming that it prompted the current hold.
WTOP said it confirmed Ashford’s incarceration near Pittsburgh through Pennsylvania State Police. The county and District police departments have remained cautious in what they have said publicly about Forbes’ disappearance.
For now, Ashford remains jailed in Pennsylvania as authorities pursue extradition. The missing-person investigation continues separately, with no public accusation connecting him to that case.
