How the ‘Bad Breath Rapist’ was finally captured after 16 years on the run

A man convicted of raping a waitress at his family’s restaurant in Massachusetts nearly two decades ago was finally arrested in California after more than 16 years on the run.

Dubbed the “Bad Breath Rapist” for his horrible breath mentioned during the initial investigation, Tuen Lee was on the lamb for years before investigators finally tracked him down last week on the other side of the country.

The man had been living under a fake identity, police said, and the woman he lived with had no idea who he really was.

“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 Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force commander, said in a 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.”

The Quincy Police Department in Massachusetts began investigating Lee after a woman was raped in her home on Feb. 2, 2005.

She was a waitress at the restaurant owned by Lee’s family in the town.

During the attack, Lee wore a mask and zip-tied the woman to her bed, face-down. After sexually assaulting her, he left her there to be found by her boyfriend hours later.

Detectives quickly identified Lee as the suspect using DNA and his notorious bad breath. He was convicted in September 2007.

He fled Massachusetts, however, and his location went unknown until earlier this year.

Detectives said they never gave up on tracking him down, running multiple media campaigns over the years, including appearances on America’s Most Wanted.

In August 2023, a $10,000 reward was offered for information on his whereabouts.

REWARD OFFERED FOR INFO LEADING TO CAPTURE OF ‘BAD BREATH RAPIST’The Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, United States Marshals Service, and Quincy Police continue to…

Massachusetts State Police said that “new information broke the case wide open”, with detectives linking Lee to an address in Diablo, California.

The multi-million-dollar homes belonged to a woman who owned a flower shop, but detectives traced an image of someone they believed to be Lee to that address.

Those working on the case across both states travelled to the home last week and saw a woman and man leaving the home.

“Lee initially provided a fake name but ultimately confessed when pressed about his true identity,” MSP said in a statement.

“His female companion, after 15 years of being together in California, never knew who he really was.”

Lee, now 55, was taken into custody on May 28 by Danville Police Department and was being held until his extradition to Massachusetts.

“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,” Quincy Police Department Chief Mark Kennedy said in a statement.