Fugitive in 2005 Massachusetts RAPE CASE Captured in California After 17 YEARS
Police in Northern California assisted US Marshals on Tuesday in apprehending a fugitive wanted in a Massachusetts rape case nearly two decades after fleeing the state during his trial, authorities said.
According to a news release from the United States Marshals Service, the guy arrested was Tuen Kit Lee, who was on trial for kidnapping and raping a young woman at knifepoint in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 2005. According to the announcement, Lee was found guilty in a September 2007 trial but left before being sentenced.
Massachusetts State Police have offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to Lee’s capture, and the case has been discussed on the television show “America’s Most Wanted” several times.
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Lee was called the “Bad Breath Rapist” after the media discovered that one of the pieces of evidence that identified Lee as the assailant was his terrible breath.
The US Marshals Service assumed Lee had fled Massachusetts. His whereabouts were unknown until Massachusetts State Police officers discovered information about the fugitive earlier this year that indicated he was probably living in Diablo, a census-designated town in Contra Costa County a few miles from the East Bay suburb of Danville.
The U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force (PSWRFTF) in northern California received investigative leads and cooperated with the Danville Police Department to identify that Lee was living in the region. Lee was captured on Tuesday by officers from the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS) and the Quincy Police Department, with help from the USMS Massachusetts Fugitive Task Force and Danville Police.
“Each cold case is unique. Someone who has been on the run for 17 years has most likely become accustomed to their situation. It’s odd that there haven’t been any extra crimes that perhaps we haven’t seen, especially for something as terrible as it was.”
Authorities verified that Lee was apprehended between the intersection of Hill Rd. and Diablo Rd., near Green Valley Elementary School.
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Later, Massachusetts State Police verified that Lee was arrested during a traffic check by Danville cops. Lee originally gave a false name but eventually confessed when officials pressed him on his genuine identity. Police were able to authenticate his identification using fingerprints.
“We were repeatedly advised that it was a tight, close-knit neighborhood. And if there was any kind of police presence, every neighbor would know about it, and we didn’t want to abandon the idea that it was there,” said Chris Tamayo, senior inspector for the United States Marshals Service. “This will most likely come as a shock. Hopefully, the fact that someone was hiding here does not raise any concerns for them.”
According to state police, despite living together in California for 15 years, his female partner at the time of his arrest had no idea who he was.
According to the announcement, Lee’s arrest offers closure to the victim and law enforcement personnel who have worked for over 16 years to locate him.
“There are violent offenders out there who believe they can commit crimes and not be held accountable for their actions,” said acting PSWRFTF commander Chief Inspector Sean Lo Piccolo. “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.”
“I greatly 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,” stated Quincy Police Department Chief Mark Kennedy in the release.
According to authorities, Lee was arrested by Danville police and will be jailed there pending extradition to Massachusetts.