Oregon man suspected of kidnapping and beating woman uses dating apps to avoid police

CNN
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Authorities in southwestern Oregon are warning that police say a man suspected of kidnapping and beating a woman unconscious may be using dating apps to avoid capture or find potential new victims.

Grants Pass police said in a statement Friday that the suspect, 36-year-old Benjamin Obadiah Foster, has so far eluded capture, but appears to be active in online dating services.

“The investigation revealed that the suspect was actively using online dating apps to contact unsuspecting individuals who could be lured into helping the suspect escape or possibly become additional victims,” ​​Grants Pass police said.

The search for Foster began Tuesday after officers found a woman bound and severely unconscious, Grants Pass police said. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition and is being guarded while the suspect is at large, the police said.

The man fled the scene before police arrived, but investigators identified Foster as a suspect and asked the public to call 911 immediately if seen, warning that he “should be considered extremely dangerous.”

Police said Foster “probably received assistance in fleeing the area.” A 68-year-old woman was arrested for “obstructing the prosecution” while authorities searched for the suspect, the department said.

As the search continues, a $2,500 reward has been offered for information leading to Foster’s capture. According to the police, he is wanted on suspicion of kidnapping, attempted murder and assault.

Prosecutors accused Foster of attempting to kill the victim during the “intentional torture” of the woman, according to court filings obtained by CNN affiliate KDRV.

“This is a very serious crime — a brutal attack on one of our residents that we take extremely seriously and we will not rest until we apprehend this individual,” Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman said at a press conference Thursday.

This is not Foster’s first case accused by the authorities on violence against women.

Court records in Clark County, Nevada, show that Foster was indicted years earlier in two separate cases of assaulting women.

In the first case, Foster was charged with felony domestic violence, court documents show. Foster’s ex-girlfriend testified at a preliminary hearing that she attempted to strangle him in a fit of rage in 2017 after another man texted her.

While the case was still pending in court, Foster is charged with assault, battery and kidnapping for allegedly assaulting another woman — his girlfriend at the time — in 2019, according to the indictments.

The victim told police that “Foster repeatedly choked her until she was unconscious” and kept her bound for most of the next two weeks. He said he was able to gain his freedom only after he convinced Foster they needed to buy groceries and escaped at a convenience store, according to court records.

The woman suffered seven broken ribs, two black eyes and bruises on her wrists and ankles, Las Vegas police reported.

Foster eventually agreed to a plea deal in the cases, the documents state. He was sentenced to a maximum of 30 months in prison, but received 729 days served in the first case.

“What I already know bothers me? The answer is yes,” Hensman said when asked about the previous charges in Nevada.

“We are laser focused on capturing this man and bringing him to justice,” Hensman said.