BOSTON, MA —Tuen Lee, infamously dubbed “The Bad Breath Rapist” due to his identifiable halitosis, has been apprehended in Diablo, California, nearly two decades after his initial crime. Lee was convicted in absentia for a 2005 rape and home invasion in Quincy, Massachusetts, but fled before the verdict.
The breakthrough in this long-stalled case came in early 2024 when investigators received a crucial tip leading them to a multi-million dollar home owned by a female flower shop owner in Diablo. Surveillance images and social media activity suggested Lee was living under an assumed identity at this location.
On May 28, 2024, a joint operation involving the Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS) Metro Team, the U.S. Marshals Service Boston, Quincy Police Department, and the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force of Northern California was conducted.
Lee and a woman were observed leaving the residence and were subsequently stopped by Danville Police. Lee initially gave a false name but confessed his true identity under further questioning. His identity was confirmed through fingerprint analysis.
Lee’s companion, who had been with him for 15 years, was reportedly unaware of his criminal past.
Lee has been booked at Danville PD and is awaiting extradition to Massachusetts to face justice for his crimes.
