Benjamin Obadiah Foster.Photo: Grants Pass Police Department
Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, is wanted for attempted murder, assault and kidnapping after the incident in Grants Pass, Ore., last week.
Foster allegedly tried to kill the woman while “intentionally torturing” her and keeping her confined in a location “where she was not likely to be found,” Josephine County District Attorney Joshua Eastman wrote in court documents,Oregon Live reports.Foster allegedly held her captive for a “protracted period of time,” Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman said at a press conference last week.
Benjamin Obadiah Foster.Grants Pass Police Department/Facebook
Various pieces of evidence, including Foster’s 2008 Nissan Sentra, were seized during a search of the property, and officers also arrested a 68-year-old woman there for allegedly “hindering prosecution.”
Police say Foster is still “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,” noting that “anyone assisting Ben Foster with his escape will face potential prosecution.”
“We are laser-focused on capturing this man and bringing him to justice,” Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman said at a news conference last week,the Associated Pressreported. “This is an all-hands-on-deck operation.”
“This is a very serious event, a brutal assault of one of our residents that we take extremely seriously. And we will not rest until we capture this individual,” Hensman added.
‘Extremely Troubling’ Foster Isn’t Behind Bars: Police Chief
The police chief has also said he finds it “extremely troubling” that Foster is not still behind bars in Nevada after being charged with five felonies there, including the 2019 assault and battery of a girlfriend in Las Vegas. That alleged victim suffered seven broken ribs, two black eyes and other related injuries after being bound at the wrists and ankles with zip ties and duct tape for two weeks, the Associated Press reported.
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That alleged victim later told police she was forced to eat the chemical lye while she was held captive, and that she once choked to the point of unconsciousness as a result.
Despite the fact that Foster was also awaiting trial in connection with a 2018 domestic abuse charge during his time in jail, he secured an August 2021 plea deal thatreduced his sentenceto 2 1/2 years — which included the 792 days he’d already spent in jail awaiting trial.
Anyone with information about Foster’s current whereabouts or online activity is asked to call the Grants Pass Police Tip-Line at 541-237-5607.
Police urge anyone who sees Foster not to approach him, but to call 911 immediately.
There is a reward in place for information leading to his arrest and prosecution.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
