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

(DIALBLO, CA) – A convicted rapist nicknamed “the Bad Breath Rapist” has been arrested more than 16 years after fleeing Massachusetts, authorities say.

Tuen Lee — who was arrested Tuesday in Northern California — broke into a co-worker’s home and raped her on Feb. 2, 2005, according to Massachusetts State Police.

“He was eventually identified through his DNA and horrible breath, earning him the nickname ‘bad breath rapist,’” police said in a statement.

In 2007, a jury found Lee guilty of rape and kidnapping, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. But he had already fled the state, authorities said.

Authorities searched for Lee for years, with detectives spending hundreds of hours searching, police said. Investigators also publicized the case on the television show “America’s Most Wanted,” according to police.

Then, this year, police focused on a multimillion-dollar home owned by a woman in Diablo, Calif., about 25 miles east of Oakland, authorities said.

On Tuesday, police monitored Lee and a woman leaving that home and conducted a traffic stop on their car, authorities said.

Lee initially gave authorities a false name, state police said, but later admitted his real identity, confirmed by his fingerprints.

“His partner, after 15 years of living together in California, never knew who he really was,” state police said.

“Tuen Lee had been 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,” said Chief Inspector Sean LoPiccolo, acting commander of the US Marshals Service Pacific. Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, said in a statement.