Oregon police have warned the public to be on the lookout for a man accused of torturing and attempting to murder a woman in her home after using dating apps to lure new victims.
Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, of Wolf Creek — located 60 miles north of the California border — is wanted by police for allegedly handcuffing and nearly beating to death Justine Siemens of Grants Pass on Tuesday.
Siemens’ name has not been publicly released by the Grants Pass Police Department, but her identity has been confirmed by friends on Facebook and GoFundMe. Siemens, who was also a bodybuilder, is in critical condition in intensive care.
Foster, who is still at large, is said to have “tied up and severely beaten” Siemens until she was unconscious at her home on Shane Way. Police believe she was kidnapped between Monday and Tuesday evening.
On Tuesday, a friend arrived at Siemens’ home after being unable to reach her and “interrupted” the torture, according to the New York Times.
Lieutenant Jeff Hattersley told the Times that Foster then fled in his 2008 Nissan Sentra and later “escaped into the wilderness” on foot. Foster’s car was found at Tina Marie Jones’ home on Sunny Valley Loop in Wolf Creek, which is surrounded by a wooded area.
Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, of Wolf Creek — located 60 miles north of the California border — is wanted by police for allegedly handcuffing and nearly beating to death Justine Siemens of Grants Pass on Tuesday
Siemens’ name has not been publicly released by the Grants Pass Police Department, but her identity has been confirmed by friends on Facebook and GoFundMe. Siemens is in critical condition in intensive care
Jones had followed Foster in a vehicle earlier Thursday as he drove to a remote location in Wolf Creek, according to the AP, and then intentionally drove his 2008 Nissan Sentra over an embankment, according to court documents. Jones then drove Foster to the property, which was being searched Thursday night, where Foster was hiding while police searched for him, according to Josephine County Circuit Court records viewed by the AP.
The 68-year-old was arrested on two counts on Thursday for obstructing law enforcement over allegedly hiding Foster.
After serving a search warrant, Grants Pass Police, sheriff’s deputies, the Oregon State Police SWAT team and federal agents found Foster’s car at her home and evidence that he used dating apps to commit his crimes commit.
“The investigation has determined that the suspect is actively using online dating applications to contact unsuspecting individuals who may be tricked into helping the suspect escape, or possibly as additional victims,” the Grants Pass Police Department wrote on Facebook.
Jones is currently being held in the Josephine County Jail.
Police dogs had searched the densely wooded area behind the house but could not find him on Friday. Police believe the attacker befriended the 68-year-old because they lived in a similar area, Hattersley told the Times.
“We’re guessing he kind of just made a friend of him who lives in the area [Jones],’ he said.
On Tuesday, a friend of Siemens’ home after being unable to reach her, “interrupted” the torture. Foster then fled in his 2008 Nissan Sentra and later fled on foot into the wilderness. Foster’s car was found at Tina Marie Jones’ home on Sunny Valley Loop in Wolf Creek, which is surrounded by a wooded area
Hattersley also believed that if Siemens’ friend hadn’t shown up at her apartment on Tuesday, “we would have had a completely different investigation.”
“It’s clear that his intention was to kill her,” he told the New York Times. “I have been in law enforcement for 32 years and this is one of the most heinous and horrific cases I have ever seen.”
Siemens friend Jacqueline Frankel said she saw the couple at the Corvette’s Bar and Grill in Grants Pass a few weeks before the alleged attack, although they weren’t hanging out. According to her Facebook page, Siemens appeared to work at the restaurant.
Foster is also a bartender in Grants Pass. It’s unclear if he worked at Corvette, but police said he knew Siemens before the attack. has reached out to the restaurant for comment.
Frankel said Foster “just looked like a regular guy” at the time but didn’t see him “hanging out” with Siemens.
Police said it was “clear his intention was to kill her” and that he abducted her sometime between Monday and Tuesday night
Police believe if Siemens’ girlfriend hadn’t shown up at her apartment on Tuesday, “we would have had a very different investigation.”
Police issued a search warrant for a home on Sunny Valley Loop in Wolf Creek where his car (pictured) was found. Police also found evidence he used dating apps to support his crimes
The home belonged to Tina Marie Jones, 68, of Wolf Creek (pictured), who was arrested on two counts of obstructing law enforcement for allegedly helping him go into hiding
This isn’t the first time Foster has faced similar allegations, as he was convicted in 2019 of holding his girlfriend captive in Las Vegas, where he attended university.
He reportedly held his girlfriend in her own home for two weeks and brutally tortured her.
That victim, whose name was blacked out from court records, suffered over the course of 16 days a shaved head, seven broken ribs, two black eyes and chemical burns from lye that Foster allegedly forced her to eat.
He was initially charged with five felonies, including assault and assault, and served decades in prison after his conviction. But in August 2021, Foster reached a settlement with Clark County prosecutors that allowed him to plead guilty to one felony count of battery and one misdemeanor count of domestic violence.
A judge sentenced him to up to 2.5 years in Nevada prison. The 729 days he spent in prison awaiting trial counted toward his sentence, leaving Foster less than 200 days in state custody.
Authorities say Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 33, forced his girlfriend to eat lye while he held her captive in their Las Vegas apartment for 16 days before she escaped in 2019
Siemens was also once a bodybuilder (pictured)
She also worked at a bar where her friend said she saw Foster too, but they “didn’t hang out”. Foster also works as a bartender, but it’s unclear if they worked at the same location
The woman also told police she was choked into unconsciousness.
She escaped when Foster let her out of sight during a trip to a grocery store and gas station together.
After serving several months in prison, Foster returned to Oregon, where he “unfortunately found another woman to bully in a very similar way,” Hattersley told the New York Times.
A friend of Siemens said Foster “just looked like a normal guy” just weeks before the bar beatings.
She was found at her home (pictured) in Grants Pass
Court records show Foster was out of custody at the time for carrying a concealed weapon without authorization on a suspended sentence. He was also 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 “senten to credit for time served.”
Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman told the AP Thursday it was “extremely disturbing” that Foster was out there exploiting other women instead of still being behind bars for crimes in Nevada.
Grants Pass Police are now warning the town of 40,000 that Foster is believed to be armed and “extremely dangerous”. Foster is “trained in mixed martial arts,” according to Siemens friend Ashley, who started GoFundMe, which has raised more than $700 of its $100,000 goal.
“We’re using every available technology to locate this man,” Hensman said.
Police are offering a $2,500 reward to anyone with information on the case and have set up a tipster hotline at 541-237-5607.