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 man taken into custody was identified as Tuen Kit Lee, who faced trial in the 2005 kidnapping and raping of a young woman at knifepoint in Quincy, Mass. The release said Lee was found guilty in a September 2007 trial, but fled before he was 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 one of the pieces of evidence that established Lee as the assailant was his foul 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 on the fugitive that indicated he was possibly staying in Diablo, a census-designated place in Contra Costa County a couple miles away from the East Bay suburb of Danville.
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 it was Lee who was living in the area. On Tuesday, officers with the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS) and the Quincy Police Department arrested Lee with assistance from the USMS Massachusetts Fugitive Task Force and Danville police.
Authorities confirmed that Lee was taken into custody near the intersection of Hill Rd. and Diablo Rd., which is close to Green Valley Elementary School.
The release noted that the arrest brings closure to the victim and law enforcement officers who have worked to locate Lee for over 16 years.
“There are violent offenders out there who believe they can commit crimes and not be held accountable for their actions,” said acting PSWRFTF commander Chief Inspector Sean LoPiccolo. “Tuen Lee was on the run for more than 16 years and the unwavering dedication by law enforcement to locate and arrest him hopefully brings peace of mind to the victim and her family.”
“I greatly appreciate the work of the Massachusetts State Police Fugitive Unit and the men and women of the U.S. Marshals Service who made this arrest possible,” said Quincy Police Department Chief Mark Kennedy said in the release.
Authorities did not say how soon Lee would be extradited back to Massachusetts.
