Police in Northern California on Tuesday helped U.S. Marshals capture a fugitive wanted in a rape case in Massachusetts, nearly two decades after he fled that state while on trial, authorities said.
According to a news release from the U.S. Marshals Service, the man in custody was identified as Tuen Kit Lee, who was on trial for the kidnapping and rape of a young woman in Quincy, Massachusetts in 2005. The release said Lee had been found. guilty in a trial in September 2007, but fled before being sentenced.
Massachusetts State Police have offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Lee’s arrest and have appeared several times on the television program “America’s Most Wanted” to discuss the case.
Lee was dubbed the “Bad Breath Rapist” after the media learned that one of the pieces of evidence proving Lee was the attacker was his bad breath.
Lee is believed to have fled Massachusetts, according to the US Marshals Service. His whereabouts were unknown until Massachusetts State Police investigators earlier this year developed information on the fugitive that indicated he may have been staying in Diablo, a census-designated place in Contra Costa County, a few miles from the East Bay suburb of Danville .
Investigative leads were sent to the U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force (PSWRTFF) in Northern California, which worked with the Danville Police Department to determine that Lee lived in the area. On Tuesday, officers from 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 the Danville Police Department.
“Every cold case is very unique. Someone who has been on the run for seventeen years has probably felt quite comfortable. It’s unique that there weren’t any additional crimes that we might not have seen, especially for something as violent as it was. ,”
Authorities confirmed Lee was taken into custody near the intersection of Hill Rd. and Diablo Rd., close to Green Valley Elementary School.
Massachusetts State Police later confirmed that Lee was taken into custody following a motor vehicle stop conducted by Danville officers. Lee initially gave a false name, but eventually confessed when authorities pressed him about his true identity. The police were able to confirm his identity with fingerprints.
“We were constantly told that it was a very tight, close-knit neighborhood. And if there was any kind of police presence, every neighbor would hear about it, and we didn’t want to give up the idea that it was there,” said Chris Tamayo, senior inspector of the US Marshals Service. “This will probably be a big shock. Hopefully it won’t worry them that someone was hiding here.”
State police noted that the female companion never knew who he really was at the time of his arrest, despite being together in California for fifteen years.
The release noted that the arrest brings closure to the victim and law enforcement officers who have worked for more than 16 years to locate Lee.
“There are violent offenders who believe they can commit crimes and not be held accountable for their actions,” said Acting PSWRFTF Commander, Superintendent Sean LoPiccolo. “Tuen Lee was on the run for over 16 years and the continued dedication of police to locate and arrest him will hopefully bring peace of mind to the victim and her family.”
“I deeply 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,” Quincy Police Chief Mark Kennedy said in the news release.
Authorities said Lee was booked by the Danville Police Department and will be held by that department pending extradition to Massachusetts.
