Oregon suspect accused of torturing captive woman on the loose less than 2 years after assault conviction

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Oregon police are searching for a man accused of torturing a woman he held captive less than two years after he was convicted in Nevada of holding another woman in captivity for weeks before she was able to escape.

Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, is now charged in Oregon with attempted murder, kidnapping and assault. He tried to kill the victim in Grants Pass while "intentionally torturing" her and secretly confining her "in a place where she was not likely to be found," Josephine County District Attorney Joshua Eastman wrote in a court document.

Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman said in an interview with The Associated Press that he finds it "extremely troubling" that the felon is wanted in an attempted murder instead of still being behind bars for the Nevada crimes.

Before moving to Oregon, Foster held his former girlfriend captive inside her Las Vegas apartment for two weeks. A Las Vegas police report obtained by the AP said that she had been forced to eat lye, was choked to the point of unconsciousness, suffered broken ribs, two black eyes and injuries from being bound at the wrists and ankles.

Foster, of Wolf Creek, was arrested by SWAT officers on the same day that the woman escaped. He was initially charged with five felonies, including assault and battery, but 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 in August 2021.

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This undated photo provided by the Grants Pass Police Department shows Benjamin Obadiah Foster. Foster is accused of torturing a woman he held captive less than two years after he was convicted in Nevada of critically injuring another woman he held captive for two weeks. (Grants Pass Police Department via AP)

A judge sentenced Foster to up to two and a half years in prison, but after the 729 days he had spent in jail awaiting trial were factored into his punishment, he was left to serve fewer than 200 additional days in state custody. 

Court records show that Foster was out of custody on a suspended jail sentence for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. He was also awaiting trial in another 2018 case involving domestic violence. However, his 2021 plea deal with prosecutors settled that case, according to a copy of the agreement, and he was "sentenced to credit for time served."

A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department vehicle  ((Las Vegas Review-Journal via Getty Images))

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Grants Pass Police shared an image of the Nissan Sentra car Foster was driving. They said he is believed to be in possession of a handgun and is "considered extremely dangerous."

On Tuesday, officers responded to a home to investigate an assault, where they found a woman who had been bound and severely beaten into unconsciousness. She was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Foster was last known to be driving a dark blue 2008 Nissan Sentra 4-door with Oregon license 407EDX.  (Grants Pass Police Department)

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Foster, who was positively identified, fled the scene before police arrived. Anyone with information about Foster's whereabouts is asked to call 911 and reference Grants Pass case #23-3570. 

"We are laser-focused on capturing this man and bringing him to justice," the Grants Pass Police chief said at a news conference Thursday. "This is an all-hands-on-deck operation."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.