“Bad breath rapist” arrested after 16 years on the run

Accident or crime scene cord tape, police line does not cross. It’s dark, police car emergency lights flashing blue, red and white in the background. Credit – Getty Images

A A fugitive known as the “Bad Breath Rapist,” on the run for more than a decade, was arrested Tuesday in California, authorities said.

Tuen Kit Lee was taken into custody Tuesday, the U.S. Marshals Service said in a news release. Lee was convicted of the 2005 kidnapping and rape of a young woman in Quincy, Massachusetts, but fled during his trial in September 2007, according to the press release. He was nicknamed the “bad breath rapist” because the smell of his breath was one of the pieces of evidence that helped identify him, CBS reported.

Authorities suspected Lee had fled Massachusetts, but did not know where to go, according to the press release. Massachusetts State Police had previously offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Lee’s arrest, CBS reported.

Investigators with the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS) then learned that Lee may be staying in Diablo, California, according to the press release. Investigative leads were sent to the U.S. Marshals Service’s Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force (PSWRFTF) in Northern California, which, in conjunction with the Danville Police Department, confirmed that Lee remained in the area.

Massachusetts investigators traveled to California and, working with other law enforcement agencies, apprehended Lee on Tuesday, 16 years after he fled.

“There are violent offenders who believe they can commit crimes without being held accountable for their actions,” said Chief Inspector Sean LoPiccolo, acting commander of the PSWRFTF, in the press release. “Tuen Lee was on the run for over 16 years and law enforcement’s unwavering dedication to locating and arresting him will hopefully bring peace of mind to the victim and his family.”

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