CNN
—
A man who was on the run for a week after being accused of kidnapping and torturing an Oregon woman has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a CNN affiliate reports.
Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, died at a hospital after an hour-long standoff with law enforcement Tuesday night in Grants Pass, Oregon, CNN affiliate KTVL reported, citing a police spokesperson.
The standoff ended after authorities surrounded the home — where they believed Foster was hiding — and tried to convince the suspect to surrender, KTVL reported.
In a statement Tuesday night, Grants Pass police said Foster was “in custody” after the standoff but did not provide further details. The department said it would hold a press conference on Wednesday.
Foster is wanted on suspicion of attempted murder, kidnapping and assault after officers found a woman restrained and beaten unconscious at a Grants Pass home on Jan. 24, police said. .
Prosecutors accused Foster of torturing the woman with the intent to kill her, according to charging documents.
The victim was still hospitalized in critical condition Sunday, according to Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman.
Foster knew his victim before the attack, Hensman told CNN, saying the two had a “prior relationship.” He did not elaborate but said, “This was not a random attack.”
The suspect had already fled by the time officers arrived on the scene last week, prompting a multi-day manhunt for Foster that drew numerous tips from the public and included federal, state and local agency, police said.
As they searched for Foster, police warned that he was “very dangerous” and possibly armed. Hensman said he was “definitely a threat to others,” especially those who would try to befriend him.
Investigators said Foster may have received help fleeing law enforcement. They also warned that he may be using dating apps to find potential new victims or persuade people to help him escape.
When officers responded to a 911 call from a friend of the victim, they were confronted with “an absolutely disgusting scene,” Hensman told CNN. The victim suffered the alleged abuses for “a long time” before she was discovered, he said.
“This will remain a stain on my memory for many years to come,” said the police chief, describing the images of the scene as “terrifying.”
At least two women with relationships with Foster have accused him of assaulting and abusing them, according to Clark County court records from the Las Vegas cases.
In the first case, her ex-girlfriend testified that in 2017 Foster became very angry and choked her after seeing that another man was texting her. Foster was charged with felony battery involving domestic violence, records show.
While the case is still pending, he was charged with felony assault, battery and kidnapping after his girlfriend at the time told the police that he strangled her several times and tied her up for almost two weeks, according to the documents.
The woman was eventually able to escape by convincing Foster that they needed to buy food and flee through a store, according to a Las Vegas police report. When he arrived at the hospital, he had seven broken ribs, two black eyes and lacerations on his wrists and ankles from being tied up, the report said.
Foster accepted plea deals in both cases. In the first case, he was sentenced to a maximum of 30 months in prison but was given credit for 729 days served.
