Man accused of holding 19-year-old against her will in New Hampshire home

By Mike Moses

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    SANDOWN, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A 19-year-old woman is safe after allegedly being held against her will in a Sandown home, police said.

A man is now in custody and facing several charges.

Officers discovered the woman during a search of a home on Eastfield Loop on Wednesday night. Police said they executed a search warrant and found the woman inside.

The homeowner, Donald Forsyth, 39, was arrested. He is facing multiple charges, including false imprisonment and criminal restraint.

Neighbors told News 9 they were surprised to see a large police presence and heavy equipment as the search was underway Wednesday night.

“I was inside, my neighbor come across, and they all just bombarded that house,” said Jimmy Richards, who lives next door.

He said officers cut through his yard as they surrounded the home.

“It’s a very nice neighborhood. For the most part, I mean, kids are always outside. He’s never been an issue or anything like that,” Richards said.

Police said the woman had been at the home since early 2024 and that the two did not know each other before either 2023 or 2024.

At this point, it is unclear how they met.

“I’ve seen her in the car with him here and there,” said a neighbor, Leandro.

“So, back in October, I think she was outside. They were all sitting out by the lawn. Ever since then, I hadn’t seen either one of them,” said Richards.

Neighbors said they are glad the woman is safe as they try to make sense of it all.

“This doesn’t happen, but knowing that it did happen, it’s kinda crazy. Kinda insane,” said neighbor Juergen Pfau.

Forsyth is scheduled to be arraigned Friday. The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sandown Police Department.

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