Police in Oregon say they have caught a man who is accused of torturing a woman and who they think uses dating apps to find victims or people who can help him get away from the police.
“After a several [hourslong] standoff, Benjamin Foster is in custody. A press conference will be held tomorrow with additional information,” the Grants Pass Police Department said.
Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, is wanted for attempted murder, kidnapping and assault, police said.
In an update on Sunday, when Foster was still on the run, the police said that he is a “extremely dangerous suspect.” The police saw a man they think is Foster walking a small dog in the Grants Pass area on Tuesday morning.
“It’s essentially an all-hands-on-deck operation,” Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman told ABC News. “We are laser-focused.”
After receiving a report of an assault at a residence in Grants Pass on January 24, the police began searching for Foster that same day. Officers arrived to the residence and discovered a lady who was “bound and severely beaten into unconsciousness,” according to the police report. The victim was in critical condition.
The suspect had already fled the scene before officers arrived but was identified as Foster, of Wolf Creek, police said. “The scene was horrific,” Hensman told ABC News. “This is a bad man that needs to be captured.”
During a press briefing held on January 26, Hensman stated to the reporters that they are still working on a timeframe, but that it is believed that the assault took place over a “protracted period of time.” The nature of the suspect’s relationship with the victim was not discussed in any further detail by him.
Last week, while the authorities were searching for Foster, they were able to find his vehicle and execute a search warrant at a house near Wolf Creek. According to the police’s statement, the suspect “evaded capture and likely received assistance in fleeing the area,”
“The investigation has revealed that the suspect is actively using online dating applications to contact unsuspecting individuals who may be lured into assisting with the suspect’s escape or potentially as additional victims,” police said.
During the search of the residence, a woman named Tina Marie Jones, who is 68 years old, was taken into custody on suspicion of obstructing the legal process. She is still being held at the Josephine County Jail at this time.
The victim, whose family has revealed that her name is Justine Siemens, was taken to a local hospital where she is currently being kept alive by life support.
“She will survive this and as her family, we implore the nation to help bring her attacker to justice,” her family said in a statement.
According to the court records, Foster was found guilty of domestic violence charges for two assaults that occurred over the past five years in Las Vegas. Both of these incidents took place within the past five years.
According to an arrest report that was obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal at the time of the alleged crime in 2019, he was accused of holding his then-girlfriend captive inside her residence in Las Vegas for a period of two weeks.
According to the online court records, he was initially charged with four counts of battery and two counts of assault; however, in August 2021, he entered a plea of guilty to two of the battery charges as part of a bargain to reduce the charges.
According to the records from the court, he was given a sentence of up to one and a half years in prison, but the judge gave him credit for the 729 days he had already served in jail awaiting trial. According to the court documents, in August of 2021, he made another plea deal in a domestic violence case that occurred in 2018 and was sentenced to credit for time served for a minor battery conviction.
“Am I troubled by what I know already? The answer is yes,” Hensman told reporters when asked about the prior Las Vegas cases. “We’re laser-focused on capturing this man and bringing him to justice.” A reward in the amount of $2,500 is being offered by the Grants Pass Police Department for information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of Foster in connection with the attempted murder case.
Foster was described by the police as being a white male roughly 6 feet tall and weighing around 180 pounds with brown hair that was probably worn in a bun and blue eyes. Recent images taken by the police show Foster sporting a beard. However, the police have speculated that Foster may try to alter his look by either shaving his beard and hair or altering the color of his hair.
“The Grants Pass Police Department asks the public to pay particular attention to Foster’s facial structure and eyes since those features are very difficult to change,” the department said.
Tips for sightings of the suspect “continue to flood into the department, and we are confident this dangerous criminal will soon be captured with the assistance of a concerned citizen,” the department said.
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