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Stephen Paul Gale was arrested in Los Angeles on Thursday for the rapes of two women in Massachusetts. He has been identified as the “Boston Strip Mall Rapist.”

Gale, 71, is accused of a series of rapes in Massachusetts over three decades ago. 

The arrest followed a tense 1½-hour pursuit involving the Los Angeles Police Department. Gale, who had been on the run for years, was finally apprehended thanks to the combined efforts of local and federal law enforcement.

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, “Gale was recently identified through genetic genealogy as the subject responsible for a series of rapes in Boston from 1989 to 1990.” 

Gale was dubbed the "Boston Strip Mall Rapist" during the initial investigation.

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Boston Strip Mall Rapist

Despite his efforts to evade capture, Gale’s identity was revealed, and he was last seen in 2008 before resurfacing in Los Angeles.

The charges against Gale stem from a horrific incident in 1989, where he allegedly kidnapped and raped two women at a clothing store in Framingham, Massachusetts. 

The charges, brought against him in May of this year, include four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of armed robbery.

"This crime has haunted the Framingham community for decades, but none of us ever gave up hope or forgot about them," Framingham Police Chief Lester Baker said. His words reflect the persistent efforts of law enforcement and the enduring pain felt by the community.

Decades-Old Massachusetts Crime

On the morning of December 27, 1989, Gale allegedly entered the Hit or Miss Store in Framingham, where he encountered two female employees. 

According to , Gale forced the two women into the back of the store at gunpoint. He compelled one victim to empty the cash register and her own purse, while the second victim was ordered to place a sign on the door indicating the store would open late.

Gale then subjected both women to a terrifying ordeal, forcing them to undress and isolating them in separate rooms at the back of the store.

 “He sexually assaulted both women while holding the gun to their heads,” according to a press release from the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office.