New Hampshire
Family calls cops 37 times, receives death threats from encampment of violent vagabonds behind dream home: ‘I can’t even use my backyard’
Their dream home has become a place of nightmares.
A New Hampshire family is being terrorized by a homeless encampment that sprouted up behind their historic home, leading to violent encounters with the vagrants, according to a report.
Robin Bach and her husband spent years restoring their 19th-century dream home in Concord to raise their two children, ages 8 and 11 — but have been plagued by the campers living in the woods behind the palatial abode.
They’ve received death threats and have heard gunshots and screams from beyond the tree line. A swingset in their backyard, bought in 2020 during the pandemic, sits untouched by her terrified children, who will only play in the front yard.
“I can’t even use my backyard. My kids can’t go out there,” Bach told the Concord Monitor. “I would like my children to be independent and feel comfortable going outside and playing and they won’t.
“This is the worst it’s ever been, It’s the worst it’s ever been.”
Since purchasing the house in 2018 with grand plans to renovate and raise a family, Bach has called police 37 times, according to police records reviewed by the newspaper. Six calls were for an area check, another six for disturbances as well as domestic violence and criminal trespassing incidents.
During one of their first summers in the house, Bach’s husband found a man, who they had previously seen lurking in the woods near some tents, sitting in their backyard. When he asked the man to leave, the interloper threatened to shoot him.
The man returned several times until Bach filed a restraining order against him — and cops hauled him off in handcuffs as her young children watched, she told the Concord Monitor.
In another incident, she was teaching her son how to do laundry when they heard chilling screams of some yelling, “Get off me, get off me” coming from the encampment, prompting another police call.
A dumpster fire behind a neighbor’s home two doors down sent wailing firetrucks rushing up her street to put out the blaze, the outlet said.
When Bach asked for a quote to install a chain link fence around her property, she was disheartened to learn that it would cost $50,000, she told the Monitor.
“I can’t afford to clean it up. I can’t physically do it myself,” she said about the garbage visible from the house. “So the trash remains.”
What was once just one or two tents when she first moved in, the camp has ballooned to about half a dozen, as New Hampshire experiences one of the largest percentage increases in homelessness in the country, according to the paper.
The encampment on Bach’s property poses a unique challenge because it borders property and train tracks owned by CSX, a freight railroad company.
While Concord police can go and issue no-trespassing orders at any time, CSX also has its own police detail that will sweep the area and arrest people.
Police are able to clear out the camp and have done so a few times and tried to connect them with local programs to find stable housing — but that’s the extent of the city’s involvement on private property, meaning the litter stays.
And, after the police have moved the campers out, they just return in a matter of days, Bach told the Monitor.
“We have a pretty significant homeless problem,” Barrett Moulton, the deputy chief of patrol and police liaison on the city’s homeless steering committee, told the outlet. “They’re going to be somewhere.”
“It’s Whack-a-Mole,” Bach echoed. “You can’t just ask them to leave, they’re going to go somewhere else. You have to give them someplace to go.”
Bach understands that squatters behind her home need assistance and stability. She recently spoke to a man who holds a day job and tries to keep the area around his ten clean.
She and other local leaders believe a solution would be to create a designated campsite for the homeless in the city, where much-needed resources and outreach can be concentrated in one place.
“You can put your tent here, here’s bathrooms, dumpsters,” she said. “They’ve come here and told them to move a million times, they don’t move.”
The Supreme Court ruled last week that homeless people can be ticketed and fined for camping on public property in a landmark decision, which will likely lead to cities across the country to take legal action against the unhoused.
Last year, about 650,000 individuals in the US lacked a permanent place to live, according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, a 12% increase from 2022 and the most since tracking began in 2007.
New Hampshire
Nashua, NH man arrested in $150K jewelry burglary case
NASHUA, N.H. — An investigation into a September burglary involving the theft of $150,000 in jewelry from a store led to an arrest on Tuesday.
The Nashua Police identified the suspect as Nathan Ladue, 34, of Nashua, who was taken into custody on a felony warrant for receiving stolen property.
The case began on Sept. 28 when officers were called to a burglary report at Euddy Jewelry, located at 108 E. Hollis St. Police said that surveillance footage showed a white male driving a vehicle in the area that was registered to Ladue.
Detectives from the department’s Criminal Investigation Division obtained search warrants for Ladue’s vehicle and residence, which allegedly uncovered multiple pieces of stolen jewelry along with illegal drugs.
Ladue was subsequently arrested on a felony warrant on Tuesday.
He is charged with two counts of receiving stolen property, a Class A felony; two counts of possession of a controlled drug, a Class B felony; and receiving stolen property, a Class A misdemeanor.
Ladue was held without bail pending his arraignment at 9th Circuit Nashua District Court on Wednesday. The outcome of the hearing was not immediately available.
Police are asking anyone with information about the case to call the Nashua Police Department Crime Line at 603-589-1665.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.
New Hampshire
Walk Through 3 Million Incredible Lights at New England’s Largest Holiday Light Show
Have you heard of Holly Jolly Journey in Litchfield, New Hampshire?
It’s touted as “New England’s largest and most spectacular holiday light show,” and it’s just one more incredible event you should check out this Christmas season.
According to its website, Holly Jolly Journey has added a million lights for this recent season, meaning there are now over 3 million dazzling lights you can take in while walking through.
What Is Holly Jolly Journey in Litchfield, New Hampshire?
Located at Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield, Holly Jolly Journey is a walk-through Christmas light event that spans over 2/3 of a mile and features some incredible displays all along the way.
Some of the spectacular things you can see include Santa’s Workshop, Candy Cane Lane, Twinkly Tunnel and Teddy’s Christmas Corner, among others.
The walk is truly mesmerizingly festive.
The Holly Jolly Journey website also notes some new stuff for the 2025/26 season, including additions to almost every scene along the walk, more trees lit, more food and drink stations, a new 28-foot centerpiece, and a new indoor party suite.
When is the Holly Jolly Journey in Litchfield, New Hampshire?
According to its website, the Holly Jolly Journey takes place from the day after Thanksgiving through January 11. It is closed on Christmas Eve.
There are multiple time slots to choose from, starting at 4:30 p.m. and with the last time slot of the day being at 10 p.m. (for those late-night holiday owls).
It should take about an hour to complete, but you can take as long as you’d like.
READ MORE: New Hampshire’s Dazzling 2-Mile Holiday Drive-Thru With 3 Million Lights Returns for 2025
Have you decided which holiday experience you should do this season? You certainly don’t have to limit yourself to one, and Holly Jolly Journey is one you might want to consider. With over 3 million lights and incredible displays on a festive walk perfect for the family, you’ll be soaking up the sparkle of Christmas in the best way possible.
You’ll also have so many Instagram-worthy pics with that glowing backdrop!
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New Hampshire
New Hampshire woman arrested after high-speed chase ends in crash
DOVER, New Hampshire (WGME) — A New Hampshire woman is facing charges after reportedly speeding more than 100 miles per hour during a police chase.
New Hampshire State Police say it happened Saturday night on Route 16 in Dover.
Troopers say they tried to pull over the driver, Stephanie Dupont, but she took off at high speed.
Troopers say they followed her to Exit 3, where she veered off the road.
After the crash, they say she jumped out of the car and tried to flee on foot.
An off-duty officer from Ogunquit happened to be near by and was able to stop her.
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Officials say Dupont suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash.
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