How the “bad breath rapist” was finally caught after 16 years on the run

A man convicted of raping a waitress at his family’s Massachusetts restaurant nearly two decades ago has finally been arrested in California after more than 16 years on the run.

Tuen Lee, nicknamed the “Bad Breath Rapist” due to his bad breath, which was mentioned during the initial investigation, was pursued for years until investigators finally tracked him down on the other side of the country last week.

The man was living under a false identity, police said, and the woman he lived with had no idea who he really was.

“There are violent criminals out there who believe they can commit crimes without being held accountable for their actions,” said Chief Inspector Sean LoPiccolo, deputy commander of the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, in a press release.

“Tuen Lee was on the run for more than 16 years and the tireless efforts of law enforcement to find and arrest him will hopefully bring peace of mind to the victim and her family.”

The Quincy Police Department in Massachusetts began investigating Lee after a woman was raped in her home on February 2, 2005.

She was a waitress at Lee’s family restaurant in town.

During the attack, Lee wore a mask and tied the woman face down to her bed with zip ties. After sexually assaulting her, he left her there, where she was found hours later by her boyfriend.

Investigators quickly identified Lee as a suspect based on his DNA and his notorious bad breath. He was convicted in September 2007.

However, he fled Massachusetts and his whereabouts were unknown until earlier this year.

Investigators said they never gave up the search for him and conducted several media campaigns over the years, including appearances on “America’s Most Wanted.”

In August 2023, a $10,000 reward was offered for information leading to his whereabouts.

Massachusetts State Police said “new information has completely resolved the case” and investigators have linked Lee to an address in Diablo, California.

The multi-million dollar homes belonged to a woman who owned a flower shop, but investigators were able to trace a picture of a person believed to be Lee to that address.

Those working on the case in both states traveled to the home last week and saw a woman and a man leaving the house.

“Lee initially gave a false name but eventually confessed when asked about his true identity,” MSP said in a statement.

“Despite the 15 years they spent together in California, his partner never knew who he really was.”

Lee, now 55, was taken into custody by Danville police on May 28 and held pending extradition to Massachusetts.

“I am very grateful to the Massachusetts State Police Fugitive Unit and the men and women of the U.S. Marshals Service who made this arrest possible,” Quincy Police Chief Mark Kennedy said in a statement.