The Grants Pass Police Department warned last week that dating apps were helping an attempted murderer avoid arrest after the suspect fled arrest.
The accused 36-year-old man, Benjamin Obadiah Foster, allegedly received aid from a 68-year-old woman named Tina Marie Jones.
Ars was unable to reach Grants Pass PD for comment on the dating app Foster is known to be using. After Jones’ arrest, the Bureau of Investigation concluded that the investigation found that Foster was “using online dating to contact unsuspecting individuals who could assist suspects in escaping or become additional victims.” I vaguely reported that it was revealed that I was actively using the app.
A spokesperson for dating app Bumble told Ars: We couldn’t find any member named Benjamin Obadiah Foster on Bumble at this time. “
A Bumble spokesperson told Ars that if a dating app becomes aware of reports of potentially dangerous users “at any time,” the company will take “immediate action” against the account, violating community safety guidelines. All profiles will be “completely blocked from the app,” he said.
“These are horrific crimes,” a Bumble spokesperson told Ars. We have a dedicated law enforcement team that can respond to requests from and a law enforcement portal that facilitates access to data for investigative purposes.”
Dating apps have come under criticism lately due to user safety concerns. Last month, Match Group, which owns dating apps such as Tinder, Match, Hinge, OKCupid, and Plenty of Fish, announced that Tinder’s background he Expanded the check function for . However, some experts told The Guardian that background check tools may not be enough to filter out unsafe matches.
A Match Group spokesperson told Ars that the company searched for Foster on the app to no avail.
A spokeswoman for Match Group said, “At this time, we were unable to locate this person on our platform.
Ars also asked other popular dating sites to see if Foster’s active profile was flagged or if the dating app was actively working with police to identify suspects. I could not access any of the related apps.
Police have reported relying on citizens to help make the arrest, and the blue-eyed Foster stands 6 feet tall, weighs 180 pounds, and has brown hair that is often tied up in a bun. offered a $2,500 reward for information leading to Foster’s arrest, and told Foster to stay away from the suspect because he is believed to be armed with a handgun and is considered “extremely dangerous.” If you have any information, please call the Grants Pass Police Tip Line at 541-237-5607.
The Grants Pass PD warned that Foster might change his hair or shave without app users noticing, and detailed his facial structure and eyes in photos shared by the media. We advise users to pay attention.
“We are confident that this dangerous criminal will be apprehended soon with the help of interested citizens,” Grants Pass PD said in a statement yesterday.
In addition to being accused of attempted murder in Oregon, Foster was convicted in 2019 of kidnapping another woman for two weeks in Nevada. Another victim escaped during a trip at the grocery store, and Foster could have spent decades in prison for assault and assault, but in August 2021 he reached a plea bargain. , remained in state custody for just 200 days, the AP reported. Now, Oregon State Police are conducting a “round-the-clock” search to find him, apparently coordinating with federal partners and relying on his dating app data on his trail.
Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman told the Associated Press, “We are using every available technology to locate this man.
