“Rapist with bad breath” finally caught after 16 years on the run

A convicted rapist who was identified in part by his rancid breath has finally been caught after more than 16 years on the run.

Tuen Kit Lee, known as the “Bad Breath Rapist,” was found guilty in 2007 of breaking into a co-worker’s Massachusetts home, raping and kidnapping her at knifepoint, but fled before his sentencing. A key piece of evidence was his noticeable bad breath, which earned him the unflattering nickname, according to CBS News.

The Massachusetts State Police had offered a $10,000 reward for anyone with information on Lee’s whereabouts, and his case was even featured repeatedly on the television show. America’s Most Wanted.

But his time on the run ended Tuesday when he was arrested during a traffic stop in Diablo, a suburb of the eastern San Francisco Bay city of Danville, Massachusetts State Police said in a news release. Police said “new information” led them to a multimillion-dollar home in Diablo where Lee lived with a florist who reportedly had no idea about his dark past.

After officers conducted surveillance on him at his home, they stopped him for questioning, but he gave a false name, police said. Under pressure from officers, he revealed his true identity. Lee is currently being held by police in Danville and awaiting extradition to Massachusetts.

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