Authorities said on Friday that a man accused of torturing a woman and holding her captive in Oregon is using dating apps to seek out new victims or to entice people into aiding him in eluding law enforcement.
Police are conducting a thorough, 24-hour search for Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, after a woman was discovered bound and “severely battered into unconsciousness” on January 24 in Grants Pass, Oregon. She was admitted to the hospital in a critical state.
In an effort to apprehend Foster for attempted murder, Grants Pass police, county officers, an Oregon State Police SWAT team, and supporting federal officials conducted a raid on a property in Wolf Creek, an unincorporated area approximately 20 miles north of Grants Pass, on Thursday.
Grants Pass police reported Friday that “Foster evaded apprehension after a protracted manhunt and probably got assistance in leaving the region.”
Authorities detained Foster’s vehicle during the search and detained Tina Marie Jones, 68, for obstructing the investigation.
Foster had traveled to a rural area in Wolf Creek and purposefully driven his car over an embankment, according to court records. Following that, Jones took Foster to the home that was searched on Thursday.
Foster “is aggressively using online dating programs to contact innocent people who may be enticed into helping the suspect escape or maybe as more victims,” according to the authorities.
While this predator is still on the loose, Grants Pass police have encouraged the public to be “particularly safe,” and they have issued a warning that anyone who helps Foster escape could face legal repercussions.
On Friday, police announced a $2,500 reward for information that would result in Foster’s capture and prosecution.
Foster is wanted by authorities for attempted murder, kidnapping, and assault, according to a Sunday update from the authorities. Foster is considered to be “very dangerous” since they think he would attempt to modify his appearance and are aware of his possession of a gun.
Foster has a prior conviction for kidnapping a lady in Nevada.
It is “very worrisome,” Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman told the Associated Press last week, that Foster was free and able to prey on other women rather than still being in jail for the crimes in Nevada.
Following his arrest for keeping his then-girlfriend hostage in her Las Vegas residence for two weeks in 2019, Foster was initially charged with five crimes and faced decades in jail, according to AP.
Foster, according to the AP, was able to work out a deal with the local prosecutors in 2021 and enter a guilty plea to one felony count of battery and one misdemeanor count of battery involving domestic violence. Foster received a prison term of up to two and a half years in Nevada.
Foster was out of detention at the time, according to court documents, serving a suspended jail term for carrying a concealed firearm without a permit.
According to court documents, he was also awaiting trial in another domestic violence case from 2018 at the time. A copy of the agreement states that Foster’s plea agreement with the prosecution in 2021 resolved the domestic violence matter, and he was “sentenced to credit for time served.”
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