A newly captured former fugitive dubbed the “Bad Breath Rapist” told his wealthy florist girlfriend to “pretend he never met me” and move on with his life after his arrest in California, The Washington Post has learned exclusively.
Tuyen Kit Ly, 55, was arrested by police on Tuesday near the $4.3 million San Francisco home of his unsuspecting girlfriend, Jie Su, after 17 years on the run from a rape conviction in Massachusetts.
According to Sue, she spoke briefly on the phone with her boyfriend after his arrest, and he apologized for turning her life upside down and urged her to make a fresh start.
“He said, ‘I’m sorry. Pretend you never met me. Take care. I love you so much,'” a tearful Sue told the Post.
“He said he might die in prison. [and that he was] “I’m sorry for causing you trouble”
Known affectionately as “Grace”, Sue, a successful florist, told The Washington Post that she knew her boyfriend of 10 years as “Randy Lee” but was totally “shocked” to discover that wasn’t his real name – and also spoke about his dark past.
The first she found out was when the police pulled up and announced that Randy was in fact Lee, a wanted rapist they had been scouring the country for.
Lee’s disturbing past includes an incident on February 2, 2005, when he violently broke into the home of a waitress who worked at his family’s restaurant in the Boston suburb of Quincy.
He held the victim at knifepoint, tied her hands to a bed and brutally raped her, police said at the time.
He was wearing a balaclava, but investigators were able to identify him after the victim noticed his boss had bad breath, police said.
According to Su, the couple met at a bus stop in San Francisco about 10 years ago and soon began dating, after which Lee began working as a flower pruning and cleaning assistant at a store in the city.
A few years later, he moved into her luxury home near Danville, where he lived until his arrest.
Ms Su said Li had maintained an air of mystery throughout their relationship and ignored her inquiries about his background, and that she had never met any of his friends.
“I suggested we go and meet his family but he didn’t want to go. He said he had problems with his family and that maybe I could help fix the situation,” she explained.
“He didn’t want to talk.
“I thought he was just having financial problems.”
Lee had already fled the state by the time of his arrest. He was convicted in a 2007 trial. on suspicion of kidnapping and rape.
DNA evidence also linked him to the crime, and the victim was able to identify him by scent.
“He was eventually identified through DNA and his severe breath odor, earning him the nickname ‘the Bad Breath Rapist,'” state police said.
Sue was shocked to discover her partner had been convicted of rape and had lied about his identity throughout their relationship, but she still considers him her fiancé, even though they are not officially engaged.
“I want to marry him,” Su told The Washington Post, adding that she had previously expressed this desire to Li, but he said he “needed time.”
“I think he made mistakes, but I don’t think he’s a bad person.
“Everyone likes him. He’s very kind to women.”
“He takes very good care of me.”
Sue said she plans to continue supporting him in any way she can.
Authorities said Lee was transported to Massachusetts overnight and is scheduled to be arraigned in Quincy District Court on Friday and face an additional charge of being a fugitive from justice.
