LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A nationwide manhunt ended Tuesday night after a man with ties to Las Vegas died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a standoff with police in Grants Pass, Oregon.
This was the second time Benjamin Foster, 36, was accused of a violent kidnapping.
He was convicted of a similar crime in Las Vegas back in 2019 for kidnapping and assaulting a woman, but he was released nearly two years later.
Foster’s criminal record in Las Vegas dates back to 2014, with several charges including domestic battery.
Grants Pass Police Department in Oregon describe Foster as extremely dangerous and said they had been looking for him for more than a week as he was wanted for attempted murder, kidnapping, and assault.
The most recent allegations included beating up a woman he found on a dating app.
Investigators believed he was still actively using dating apps to lure women into helping him escape or to find other victims.
In 2019, Foster held a woman against her will for two weeks in Las Vegas. He strangled the woman and shaved her head, he also used zip ties and duct tape. The woman was later able to escape when they went to a grocery store.
Foster took plea deal charges of battery with substantial bodily harm and battery constituting domestic violence.
A judge sentenced Foster to 12 to 30 months in a Nevada prison, but he was credited the time he had already served. Because of that Foster was immediately released.
Due to his extensive record, Grants Pass police said Foster didn’t have much to lose if he was caught.
“He is a felon on the run, he doesn’t want to go back to prison. He’s probably willing to do anything to stay out of prison,” Lt. Jeff Hattersley with the Grants Pass Police Department said.
Police did find Foster’s car about 20 miles away from Grants Pass after their K9 picked up his scent. They believe someone helped him get out of the area.
As for the most recent victim, she remains in critical condition and is in a coma in Oregon.