Police on Sunday captured repeat sex offender Lee Kuo-sheng (李國生) after a 10km car chase in Hsinchu County, to end his almost five months on the run.
Lin Te-yen (林德炎), another convicted sex offender who fled while on parole, was apprehended in a separate operation in Taichung.
Lee had been on the loose since the beginning of the year, and Lin since last week. Both had escaped from their electronic ankle monitors.
Lee and Lin were serving life sentences for sex offenses and various other charges, including drug possession and robbery.
They were later released from prison on parole, but had to wear ankle monitors and report to parole officers regularly.
On death row many times pending appeals, Lee was eventually sentenced to life in prison on a total of 34 counts of robbery, rape and other offenses, but was granted parole in 2011.
He broke off his electronic ankle monitor on Jan. 6 and fled to Jhubei, Hsinchu County, where some of his family members and friends live.
Sanmin Precinct Chief of Police Huang Chien-fu (黃建富) was able to identify the three cars Lee had reportedly been driving, and managed to apprehend him following a 10km car chase.
Huang said Lee had tried to alter his appearance by having a mole on his face removed, growing a beard and using fake ID, but he was still able to recognize the sex offender.
When the high-speed chase came to a halt after Lee’s car collided with another vehicle, four police officers surrounded his car with their guns drawn.
The driver produced a fake ID, and insisted that he was not Lee.
Huang shouted at him: “You are Lee Kuo-sheng. I know it is you. Even when you are burned to ashes, I will still recognize you.”
After Huang’s words, the driver asked the police officer for a cigarette before admitting he was indeed Lee, and was taken into custody.
Lin pried off his ankle monitor on May 27 and went into hiding.
After a major manhunt in Taichung, police officers apprehended him on Saturday.
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