Convicted Rapist Arrested on Gun, DWI Charges After Incidents in Concord, Durham

CONCORD, NH — A convicted felon now living in Maine was arrested and held recently after traveling to Concord, allegedly armed with a handgun, to meet with his estranged wife about divorce proceedings she was undertaking, according to court documents. John K. LaForest, 50, of Middle Road in Skowhegan, ME, was arrested on Oct. 21, 2016, on a single charge of felon in possession of a dangerous weapon, a felony.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.

A sergeant and officer were called to South Fruit Street for a report of a man reportedly threatening a woman while armed with a handgun, according to an arrest report and court affidavit.

When they arrived, the man was gone, so they spoke with the complainant who alleged that LaForest was “having a difficult time dealing with the impending divorce” and had allegedly stalked her several times, driving by her current residence. The woman alleged that at just before 7 p.m. that evening, LaForest pulled up in his pickup truck and motioned for her to come to the vehicle. When she did, he asked her to come inside and after taking a seat on the passenger side of the truck, she allegedly saw LaForest “holding a gun,” according to the affidavit.

The victim alleged that LaForest stated that he wanted to see the “light go out of her eyes” when she informed him about her legal actions concerning their situation as well as other threatening things, the affidavit alleged.

The woman stated that she wasn’t that familiar with guns but did her best to describe the weapon to police. A “stop and check the welfare” alert was sent out by police to the rest of the state.

Dispatch later informed the officer that LaForest was arrested by Durham Police for driving while intoxicated, open container, felon in possession of a dangerous weapon, and concealing a loaded firearm, according to the report. The Durham officer alleged that LaForest was in possession of a loaded .22 caliber revolver which matched the description given by the victim.

The officer also learned that LaForest was a registered sex offender and a convicted felon after raping an elderly woman in the 1990s in Belknap County. According to a Concord sex offender registration, he previously lived on Tremont Street.

The officer filed a probable cause warrant on Oct. 22.