Man accused of severely beating and kidnapping Oregon woman knew his victim, police say, as manhunt for him continues - CNN

CNN  — 

[Breaking quality update, published astatine 11:09 p.m. ET]

Authorities person surrounded a southwest Oregon location wherever they judge they’ve located a antheral accused of kidnapping and torturing a woman this month, a CNN affiliate reported Tuesday.

The suspect, Benjamin Obadiah Foster, is underneath the location successful the metropolis of Grants Pass, wherever a SWAT squad Tuesday evening was trying to get him to travel retired and surrender, CNN affiliate KTVL reported, citing a constabulary spokesperson.

[Original story, published astatine 9:29 p.m. ET]

A antheral accused of kidnapping and torturing a pistillate successful southwest Oregon knew his unfortunate earlier the attack, constabulary archer CNN, arsenic the week-long hunt for the fishy continues.

Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, had a “prior relationship” with the victim, Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman told CNN Monday. He did not supply further details but said, “This was not a random attack.”

On Tuesday evening, constabulary had surrounded a location believed to beryllium connected to Foster’s case, according to CNN affiliate KTVL, which is connected the scene. Authorities person not confirmed whether Foster is wrong the home, KTVL said.

Some residents successful the vicinity received a notification to structure successful place, the affiliate reported.

CNN has reached retired to Grants Pass police, the Josephine and Jefferson County sheriff’s offices and FBI’s Portland bureau astir the processing concern and has not heard back.

Police said that Foster was seen walking a canine successful the Grants Pass country Tuesday morning.

The hunt for Foster began January 24 aft officers recovered a pistillate who had been bound and severely beaten into unconsciousness inside a Grants Pass home, constabulary said. Foster had already fled the transgression country erstwhile constabulary arrived, they said.

The unfortunate inactive was hospitalized successful captious information arsenic of Sunday, according to Hensman.

Federal, authorities and section authorities person been searching “around the clock” for Foster, who is wanted connected suspicion of attempted murder, kidnapping and assault, according to the constabulary chief.

Prosecutors person accused Foster of trying to termination the pistillate portion “intentionally torturing” her, according to charging documents obtained by CNN affiliate KDRV. The unfortunate endured the alleged abuses for a “protracted magnitude of time,” the constabulary main has said.

The unfortunate was initially recovered by a person who called constabulary and identified Foster arsenic the suspect, Hensman said.

When officers arrived January 24, they recovered “an perfectly disgusting scene,” the constabulary main said, adding that images taken by investigators are “horrific.”

“I’ve seen a batch successful my career, but immoderate things bash instrumentality with you, and this volition enactment stained successful my representation for galore years to come,” Hensman told CNN Monday.

Investigators are inactive sifting done a “significant amount” of grounds and pursuing up connected the flood of tips that the section has received truthful far, the constabulary main said.

Authorities are urging the nationalist to nonstop successful immoderate accusation astir Foster’s whereabouts oregon imaginable sightings of the suspect. People should wage peculiar attraction to his eyes and facial structure, constabulary said, due to the fact that helium whitethorn person tried to change his quality by cutting oregon coloring his hairsbreadth and beard.

Hensman encouraged radical who travel into interaction with Foster – either successful idiosyncratic oregon online – to telephone 911 immediately. Police person warned that the “extremely unsafe suspect” could beryllium armed.

Hensman said Monday that helium does not judge Foster is simply a “random attacker” but warned “nothing is disconnected the array with an idiosyncratic similar him.”

“He’s decidedly a menace to others,” the constabulary main said. “I deliberation helium would beryllium a menace to idiosyncratic who mightiness befriend him.”

Investigators antecedently said Foster whitethorn beryllium utilizing dating apps to find imaginable caller victims oregon manipulate radical into helping him evade arrest. Hensman declined to clarify Monday whether Foster is inactive progressive connected those apps.

Foster has been accused of attacking women who helium had relationships with successful 2 abstracted cases successful Las Vegas, Clark County records show.

In the archetypal case, Foster was charged with felony artillery constituting home violence, the records show. His ex-girlfriend testified that helium tried to strangle her connected Christmas Eve successful 2017 aft helium saw that different antheral had texted her, according to the documents.

He was besides charged with felony assault, artillery and kidnapping for alleged abuses against his then-girlfriend successful 2019, according to charging documents.

The unfortunate successful that lawsuit told constabulary Foster strangled her respective times and kept her tied up for astir of the pursuing 2 weeks, a Las Vegas constabulary study said. When she was yet capable to flight to a hospital, she had 7 breached ribs, 2 achromatic eyes and abrasions to her wrists and ankles from being tied up, the study said.

Foster accepted plea deals successful some cases. In the archetypal case, helium was sentenced to a maximum of 30 months successful situation but fixed recognition for 729 days served.