An Oregon man who used dating apps to lure women and ‘tortured and attempted to kill’ his latest victim has been taken into custody following a police stand-off at his victim’s home.
Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, of Wolf Creek – located 60 miles north of the California border – has been taken into custody, the Grants Pass Police Department said in a press release.
Foster led police on a several hour-long stand-off where he reportedly barricaded himself under victim Justine Siemens’ home on Shane Way, where he ‘bound and severely beat’ her until she was unconscious. She remains in the ICU in critical condition.
The alleged abuser fled Siemens’ home on January 24 after her friend stopped over to check on her after he was unable to get in contact with her. He reportedly ‘interrupted’ the torture and after police arrived, they described the scene as ‘absolutely disgusting’ and ‘horrific.’
Police have accused him of ‘intentionally torturing’ Siemens for a ‘protracted amount of time.’ Police also told CNN the incident ‘was not a random attack’ and that Foster and Siemens had a ‘prior relationship,’ but did not elaborate further.
Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, of Wolf Creek, has been taken into custody by the Grants Pass Police Department at his victim Justine Siemens’ home on Shane Way
He barricaded himself under the victims home and led police on an hours long stand-off
Police said Foster used dating apps to lure his victims, but Match Group – which owns Tinder, OkCupid, and Hinge – and Bumble said they could not find profiles that matched his description, but are still looking.
He was last spotted by police on Tuesday morning, while he was walking a small dog in an orange jacket, jeans, and a hat before leading police in a stand-off.
Lieutenant Jeff Hattersley said on Tuesday afternoon that authorities received ‘credible information’ that Foster had entered the home. Just before 8pm, Hattersley said the situation was resolved.
Officers from four agencies concentrated in the area, set up a command post and assembled a SWAT team. Some area residents received a notification to shelter in place.
Last Thursday, law enforcement raided a property in the unincorporated community of Wolf Creek, but Foster, who had been staying on family property there, slipped away.
Foster allegedly bound and severely beat Siemens (pictured) in her home on January 24. Siemens is still in the ICU after the attack and is in critical condition
Authorities were alerted about the attack after her friend showed up to her home on January 24 after he couldn’t get in contact with her and ‘interrupted’ the torture. Police said the scene was ‘absolutely disgusting scene’ and ‘horrific’
After being interrupted, Foster reportedly fled the scene in his Nissan to Tina Marie Jones’ home in Wolf Creek, where his car was found and evidence that he was using dating apps to lure victims was found. He eventually went back to her home, where he was taken into custody
Forested mountains surround the community, but investigators believe that instead of disappearing solo into the wilderness, Foster had help getting out of the area.
Homeowner, Tina Marie Jones, 68, was arrested for allegedly attempting to hide Foster and is currently in the Josephine County Jail.
Hattersley also believed that if Siemens’ friend had not shown up to her residence on Tuesday, ‘we’d have a completely different investigation.’
‘It’s clear that his intent was to kill her,’ he told The New York Times. ‘I’ve been in law enforcement for 32 years, and this is one of the most heinous, terrible cases I’ve ever seen.’
Siemens’ friend Jacqueline Frankel said she saw the pair at the Corvette’s Bar and Grill in Grants Pass a few weeks before the alleged attack, although they were not hanging out. Siemens appeared to work at the restaurant, according to her Facebook page.
Foster is also a bartender in Grants Pass. It is unclear if he worked at Corvette’s, but police said he did know Siemens’ prior to the attack. DailyMail.com has contacted the restaurant for comment.
He was last seen on Tuesday morning while a dog (pictured)
Foster has been accused of holding his girlfriend hostage in her Las Vegas apartment in 2019. He reportedly held his girlfriend captive for two weeks, and brutally tortured her.
Frankel said Foster ‘just looked like a normal guy’ at the time but didn’t see him ‘hanging out’ with Siemens.
This is not the first time Foster has faced similar allegations, as he was convicted in 2019 of holding his girlfriend captive in Las Vegas, where he was attending university.
He reportedly held his girlfriend captive inside her own apartment for two weeks, and brutally tortured her.
That victim, whose name was redacted from court records, received a shaved head, seven broken ribs, two black eyes, and chemical burns from lye, which Foster also allegedly forced her to eat, over the course of 16 days.
He initially was charged with five felonies, including assault and battery, and faced decades in prison upon conviction. But, in August 2021, Foster reached a deal with Clark County prosecutors that allowed him to plead guilty to one felony count of battery and a misdemeanor count of battery constituting domestic violence.
Tina Marie Jones was arrested for allegedly helping him to hide in her home in Wolf Creek and is in the Josephine County Jail. His car and evidence that he was using dating apps to lure victims were found at her home
A judge sentenced him to up to 2.5 years in a Nevada prison. The 729 days he had spent in jail awaiting trial were factored into his punishment, leaving Foster with fewer than 200 days to serve in state custody.
The woman also told police she was choked to the point of unconsciousness.
She escaped when Foster let her out of his sight during a trip together to a grocery store and gas station.
After spending several months in prison, Foster returned to Oregon, where ‘unfortunately, he found another woman to victimize in a very similar way,’ Hattersley told The New York Times.
Court records show, Foster was out of custody at the time on a suspended jail sentence for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. He also was awaiting trial in another 2018 case involving domestic violence. But Foster’s plea deal with prosecutors in 2021 settled the domestic violence case, a copy of the agreement shows, and he was ‘sentenced to credit for time served.’
Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman told AP on Thursday that it is ‘extremely troubling’ that Foster was out and able to prey on other women instead of still being behind bars for the Nevada crimes.
