Massachusetts refugee dubbed ‘Bad Breath Rapist’ captured in California after 16 years on the run

On Tuesday, police in Northern California helped U.S. Marshals arrest a fugitive wanted in a Massachusetts rape case, nearly two decades after he fled the state during his trial, authorities said.

According to a press release from the US Marshals Service, the man arrested is Tuen Kit Lee, who was tried in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 2005 for the kidnapping and rape of a young woman at knifepoint. The press release states that Lee was found guilty in a trial in September 2007 but fled before the verdict was announced.

Massachusetts State Police are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Lee’s arrest.

Lee was nicknamed the “Bad Breath Rapist” after the media learned that one of the pieces of evidence that identified Lee as the attacker was his bad breath.

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Lee is believed to have fled Massachusetts. His whereabouts were unknown until Massachusetts State Police investigators recently received information about the fugitive that indicated he may have been in Diablo, a census-designated place in Contra Costa County, a few miles from the East Bay suburb of Danville.

Investigative tips were forwarded to the US Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force (PSWRFTF) in Northern California, who, in conjunction with the Danville Police Department, determined that Lee was living in the area. On Tuesday, officers from the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS) and Quincy Police arrested Lee with assistance from the USMS Massachusetts Fugitive Task Force and Danville Police Department.

The arrest brings closure for the victim and police officers who have tried to find Lee for over 16 years.

“There are violent offenders who believe they can commit crimes without being held accountable for their actions,” said Chief Inspector Sean LoPiccolo, acting PSWRFTF commander. “Tuen Lee was on the run for more than 16 years and the tireless commitment of law enforcement to find and apprehend him will hopefully bring peace of mind to the victim and her family.”

“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 the press release.

Authorities did not say how soon Lee would be extradited to Massachusetts.