![California authorities catch Massachusetts fugitive known as the “Bad Breath Rapist” after 16 years of evasion California authorities catch Massachusetts fugitive known as the “Bad Breath Rapist” after 16 years of evasion](https://i0.wp.com/local.keynoteusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/tuen-kit-lee-3.jpg?resize=1170%2C614&ssl=1)
Fugitive known as ‘bad-breath rapist’ arrested after fleeing Massachusetts in 2007
Police in Northern California on Tuesday helped U.S. Marshals arrest a fugitive wanted in a Massachusetts rape case nearly two decades after he fled that state during his trial, authorities said.
According to a press release issued by the U.S. Marshals Service, the detained man was identified as Tuen Kit Lee, who was facing trial for the kidnapping and rape of a young woman at knifepoint in 2005 in Quincy, Massachusetts. The statement said Lee was found guilty at a trial in September 2007 but fled before being sentenced.
Massachusetts State Police have offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Lee’s arrest.
Lee was dubbed the “bad breath rapist” after the media learned that one of the pieces of evidence establishing Lee as the attacker was his bad breath.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Lee was believed to have fled Massachusetts. His whereabouts were unknown until Massachusetts State Police investigators recently developed information about the fugitive that indicated he was possibly staying in Diablo, a census-designated place in Contra Costa County, a couple of miles from the suburb. of Danville in the East Bay.
Investigative leads were sent to the U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force (PSWRFTF) in Northern California, who worked with the Danville Police Department to determine that it was Lee who lived in the area. On Tuesday, officers from the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS) and the Quincy Police Department arrested Lee with the assistance of the USMS Massachusetts Fugitive Task Force and Danville police.
The arrest brings closure to the life of the victim and the law enforcement officers who have worked to locate Lee for more than 16 years.
“There are violent criminals who believe they can commit crimes and not be held accountable for their actions,” said PSWRTFF Acting Chief Inspector Sean LoPiccolo. “Tuen Lee was on the run for more than 16 years and it is hoped that the authorities’ unwavering dedication to locating and arresting him will bring peace of mind to the victim and his family.”
“I greatly appreciate the work of the Massachusetts State Police Fugitive Unit and the men and women of the United States Marshals Service who made this arrest possible,” Quincy Police Department Chief Mark Kennedy said in the statement. .
Authorities did not say how soon Lee would be extradited to Massachusetts.
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