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Wanted Oregon ‘Predator’ Accused Of Kidnapping, Torturing Woman Dead After Police Standoff
Benjamin Foster, 36, was spotted walking a small dog shortly before he holed up in a home’s crawl space, beginning an hours-long standoff with police.
An Oregon man, who police aggressively pursued in recent days for allegedly kidnapping and torturing a woman, killed himself following a standoff with police, according to reports.
Benjamin Foster, 36, died in a Grants Pass hospital after sustaining a self-inflicted gunshot wound after an hours-long standoff with authorities, Medford, Oregon television station KTVL reported. The Grants Pass Police Department, who announced the end of the search for Foster on social media Tuesday, haven’t officially released any information regarding his death.
On Tuesday afternoon, authorities reportedly located Foster, who was hiding in a crawl space underneath a house in Grants Pass, Oregon, per a Fox News report. A SWAT team later arrived on-scene, beginning a lengthy standoff.
After several hours of failed negotiations, Foster was taken into custody with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was transported to hospital in critical condition. His arrest came hours after he was spotted walking a small dog in Grants Pass.
Officials said a press conference was scheduled for late Wednesday afternoon.
“In preparation of the event, we will not be answering any questions at this time,” a department spokesperson told Oxygen.com on Wednesday.
Foster had been wanted on charges of attempted murder, assault and kidnapping in connection with a Jan. 24 incident involving the “brutal” kidnapping and torture of a female victim, who was found bound and “severely beaten into unconsciousness.” She was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Investigators say Foster allegedly held the woman captive and intentionally subjected her to torture and abuse for a "protracted amount of time" in an attempt to kill her, according to CNN.
Following the initial kidnapping incident, authorities launched an extensive manhunt, which spanned a number of days, in an attempt to locate the accused 36-year-old. Investigators, who described Foster as “extremely dangerous,” said they were flooded with tips, including multiple potential sightings of the wanted fugitive in the days leading up to his capture.
“This is a very serious event, a brutal assault of one of our residents that we take extremely seriously,” Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman said, the Associated Press reported. “And we will not rest until we capture this individual."
Foster later narrowly avoided capture after investigators executed a search warrant at his family’s property in Wolf Creek, Oregon. Officials had also released a flurry of photos of Foster, warning he may have attempted to alter his appearance.
"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,” police said in a statement on Jan. 29.
Foster, who police say was active on online dating apps, was believed to have been possibly attempting to lure further victims on social media amid the manhunt for him. Police did not share what dating apps he might have used.
The Oregon man, whom authorities referred to as a serial “predator” also has a past history of domestic abuse.
In 2019, Foster was charged in Las Vegas for felony battery constituting domestic violence after he was arrested for allegedly holding his ex-girlfriend hostage. He allegedly shaved the woman’s head and forced her to eat a sandwich filled with lye. The victim suffered seven broken ribs, two black eyes and other injuries from having been bound with duct tape and zip ties. He ultimately entered a plea deal and served 200 days in prison.
Additionally, he'd previously served time for felony battery constituting domestic violence in 2017, according to NBC News.
Despite the past convictions, Foster was able to use online dating apps, raising concerns about whether app users are vetted prior to their joining. Bumble, Coffee Meets Bagel and Match Group, the parent company of Match, Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid and Plenty of Fish, told NBC News that they do not believe Foster was using their apps based on the information provided to the public.
