‘Bad Breath Rapist’ Caught in California After 16 Years on the Run

A fugitive known as the “Bad Breath Rapist” who had been on the run for more than a decade was caught in California on Tuesday, authorities said.

Tuen Kit Lee was taken into custody Tuesday, the U.S. Marshals Service said in a press release. Lee was found guilty for the 2005 kidnapping and raping of a young woman in Quincy, Mass., but fled during his September 2007 trial, according to the press release. He was dubbed the “Bad Breath Rapist” because the smell of his breath was one of the pieces of evidence that led to his identification, CBS reported.

Authorities suspected that Lee had fled Massachusetts, but did not know where to, according to the press release. Massachusetts State Police had previously offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information that would lead to Lee’s arrest, CBS reported.

Investigators with the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS) then learned that Lee was possibly staying in Diablo, Calif., according to the press release. Investigative leads were sent to the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force (PSWRFTF) in northern California, who, in collaboration with the Danville Police Department, confirmed that Lee was staying in the area.

Massachusetts investigators went to California and, in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, apprehended Lee on Tuesday—16 years after he had fled.

“There are violent offenders out there who believe they can commit crimes and not be held accountable for their actions,” Chief Inspector Sean LoPiccolo, acting PSWRFTF coMMAnder, said in the press release. “Tuen Lee was on the run for more than 16 years and the unwavering dedication by law enforcement to locate and arrest him hopefully brings peace of mind to the victim and her family.”