“Bad breath rapist,” on the run for 16 years, found and arrested in East Bay

A fugitive who was tried for sexual assault nearly 17 years ago in Massachusetts was recently apprehended by U.S. Marshals in the East Bay, where he had apparently been residing for some time.

Dubbed the “bad breath rapist” during the investigation into the assault case two decades ago, Tuen Kit “Dickie” Lee, 55, was arrested Tuesday in Diablo, California – a small area not incorporated quite richly near Danville. The U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force made the arrest with assistance from the Marshals Service Massachusetts Fugitive Task Force, State Police State of Massachusetts and the Quincy (Mass.) Police Department.

The Danville Police Department also assisted in the investigation, which determined that Lee resided in the area — although details about that, or who may have been staying there, have not been made public.

Lee was initially tried in 2007 for the kidnapping and rape of a young woman in 2005. The victim accused Lee of breaking into her Quincy, Massachusetts, home while she was sleeping, tied her to her bed and attacked her at knifepoint while she was sleeping. wear a mask as a disguise. Lee got her nickname in the press because the victim recognized her foul breath coming from the restaurant where she worked, Kagawa, which was owned by Lee's family.

Lee fled his trial in Massachusetts while free on $100,000 bail, and investigators long believed he had fled the state. But only recently, after nearly 17 years, were investigators able to determine his whereabouts here in the Bay Area. A $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture was announced last fall.

Lee was convicted by a Massachusetts jury in absentia, but never served his sentence.

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

“There are violent offenders who believe they can commit crimes without being held accountable for their actions,” said Chief Inspector Sean LoPiccolo, acting commander of the Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force. of the Pacific. “Tuen Lee was on the run for over 16 years and law enforcement’s unwavering dedication to locating and arresting him will hopefully bring peace of mind to the victim and his family.”

The Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force was established in 2002 and has partnership agreements with more than 53 federal, state and local agencies that help them track down fugitives in the most violent cases.