Oregon police warned the public on Jan. 27 that a man suspected of kidnapping and torturing a woman he held captive in Oregon is actively using dating apps to either find people who can help him avoid capture or find new victims.
Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, of Wolf Creek, is wanted by police for kidnapping, attempted murder, and assault after a woman was found bound and “severely beaten into unconsciousness” in Grants Pass, Oregon, on Jan. 24. She was hospitalized in critical condition.
Lieutenant Jeff Hattersley of the Grants Pass Police Department said in an interview on Friday that investigators believe the woman, whose name has not been released, was kidnapped sometime between Monday, Jan. 23 when she was last seen by a friend, and Tuesday evening, when she was found and taken to a hospital.
Arrest Evasion
On Thursday night, Grants Pass police, sheriff’s deputies, an Oregon State Police SWAT team, and federal agents launched a manhunt and raided a property in the unincorporated community of Wolf Creek, about 20 miles north of Grants Pass, in an effort to arrest Foster for attempted murder.“Following a lengthy manhunt, Foster evaded capture and likely received assistance in fleeing the area,” Grants Pass police said Friday. It is not clear exactly how Foster escaped, however the area is thickly forested and mountainous.
During the search, authorities seized Foster’s car and arrested a 68-year-old woman for hindering prosecution.
Police asked members of the public to call 911 immediately if they see him or know his whereabouts and reference Grants Pass case #23-3570, warning that he is known to be armed and “should be considered extremely dangerous.”
Police offered a $2,500 reward on Friday for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of Foster.
“It is possible that Benjamin Foster may attempt to change his appearance by shaving his beard and hair or by changing his hair color,” the department wrote, asking the public to “pay particular attention to Foster’s facial structure and eyes since those features are very difficult to change.”
Police warned that the suspect has been actively using online dating apps to lure unsuspecting individuals who may either assist in his escape from the police or become his next victim.
“This is a very serious offense–a brutal assault on one of our residents that we take extremely serious and we will not rest until we capture this individual,” Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman said in a news conference Thursday.
History of Assault
In 2017, an ex-girlfriend claimed that he attempted to strangle her in a rage after another man texted her, according to court documents in Clark County, Nevada, where he was charged with felony battery constituting domestic violence, CNN reported.While that case was still pending in court, Foster was convicted in Nevada for holding another woman captive in her Las Vegas apartment for two weeks in 2019.
The girlfriend at the time had been forced to eat lye, was choked to the point of unconsciousness, and suffered broken ribs, two black eyes and injuries from being bound at the wrists and ankles, according to a Las Vegas police report obtained by The Associated Press.
Foster initially was charged with five felonies, including assault and battery, and faced decades in prison upon conviction. But in August 2021, Foster reached a deal with Clark County prosecutors that allowed him to plead guilty to one felony count of battery and a misdemeanor count of battery constituting domestic violence.
A judge sentenced him to up to 2 1/2 years in a Nevada prison. The 729 days he had spent in jail awaiting trial were factored into his punishment, leaving Foster with fewer than 200 days to serve in state custody.
Court records show that Foster was out of custody at the time because of a suspended jail sentence for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. Foster’s plea deal with prosecutors in 2021 settled the domestic violence case, a copy of the agreement shows, and he was “sentenced to credit for time served.”
