“Rapist with bad breath” finds million dollar house

A sex offender known as the “Bad Breath Rapist” who was on the run for 17 years was caught living a life of luxury in a multimillion-dollar home.

Knewz.com has learned that Tuen Kit Lee, a fugitive from “America’s Most Wanted,” was charged with aggravated rape, burglary, kidnapping, armed burglary and armed robbery in 2005.

A press release from the US Marshal Service regarding Lee’s arrest states:

“The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force (PSWRFTF) in Northern California, with assistance from the USMS Massachusetts Fugitive Task Force, the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS), and the Quincy (Mass.) Police Department, today arrested a man who fled from trial in September 2007 after being found guilty of kidnapping and raping a young woman in 2005.”

The man in question, Tuen Kit Lee, was identified by his DNA and bad breath, hence the nickname “Bad Breath Rapist,” and fled Massachusetts after his conviction in 2007.

In 2023, the Massachusetts State Police and the U.S. Marshal Service offered a $10,000 reward for any information leading to his capture.

Law enforcement efforts paid off in 2024 when they received a tip that Lee was in the affluent community of Diablo in Contra Costa County, California.

With the help of the Danville Police Department in Northern California, a task force was formed and Lee’s whereabouts were confirmed.

On Tuesday, May 28, police officers observed a man and woman leaving the home where Lee lived in Diablo and conducted a traffic stop.

During the confrontation, Lee gave a false name, but confessed his true identity after his fingerprints confirmed the police officers’ suspicions.

The US Marshal Service confirmed the arrest on its website, saying:

“Massachusetts investigators traveled to California and early this morning the PSWRFTF, Danville Police Department and Massachusetts law enforcement took Lee into custody.”

“The arrest brings closure for the victim and the police officers who worked tirelessly for over 16 years to find Lee.”

According to investigators (via NBC News), Lee, now 56, shared the house with the owner of a flower shop. His partner, investigators believe, “never knew who he really was.”

Chief Inspector Sean LoPiccolo, acting commander of the PSWRFTF, commented on the arrest: “There are violent criminals out there who believe they can commit crimes without being held accountable for their actions.”

At the time of his conviction, Lee faced a life sentence.

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

Lee is currently being held at the Danville Police Department awaiting extradition to Massachusetts.