'Serial rapist' is snared after 30 years on the run - and he's found living on luxury yacht

A suspected serial rapist who evaded authorities for over 30 years was finally snared after he was spotted living a double life on a luxury yacht. 

Stephen Paul Gale, 71, was allegedly identified as the infamous 'Boston Strip Mall Rapist' through DNA testing, leading to a manhunt that saw investigators track him to a $1.5 million yacht in Los Angeles this week. 

As cops swooped in to arrest him, Gale reportedly realized he was being trailed, ran from his boat to his car, and led police on a daring high-speed chase through LA for over 90 minutes before he was apprehended. 

Gale was subsequently charged in connection with the kidnapping and rape of two women in Framingham, Massachusetts at gunpoint in 1989. 

Investigators - who Gale has been avoiding for two years since a new DNA test matched him to the crimes - said he was known to have ties to organized crime, lived in numerous states and used a variety of aliases over the years. 

Stephen Paul Gale, 71, was arrested this week under suspicion of being the infamous 'Boston Strip Mall Rapist', who raped two women at gunpoint in 1989 

Gale was arrested following a police chase through Los Angeles, which ended with him being hospitalized with medical complications as she was charged in connection with the crime 

The search for Gale heated up in March of this year when he was indicted on four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping and one count of armed robbery. 

When he allegedly raped two women in 1989, police say Gale posed as a customer in a Hit or Miss department store before cornering his victims with a gun. 

Gale then allegedly ordered them into the back of the store in different rooms, and sexually assaulted them before fleeing, reports WCVB. 

The search for the rapist responsible went cold for decades, with victims speaking out over the years demanding police re-open the investigation. 

A DNA profile was created in 2001 from evidence left at the scene, however this failed to match with any DNA on law enforcement databases.  

In 2022, 33 years after the attacks, the Framingham police employed a forensic lab to re-test DNA from the scene to determine a suspect profile. 

Gale was identified through this method - and was evading cops for two years. 

A decades-long manhunt ended with police tracking Gale down to this $1.5 million yacht in a Los Angeles marine 

Gale reportedly realized cops were closing in, leading him to attempt to flee in a daring 90-minute police chase 

Footage captured the moment police ended the chase by throwing a spike strip in front of Gale's vehicle's tires 

Following Gale's arrest (pictured), it emerged that he was also being sought for questioning over several further violent sexual assaults in the Boston area between 1989 and 1990

However, the 71-year-old had not been seen since 2007 - leading authorities to appeal to the public for information and offer a $5,000 reward. 

Gale was also identified as a possible suspect in several further violent sexual assaults in the Boston area between 1989 and 1990, KTLA reported.  

According to reports, the US Marshals and the District of Nevada aided in the manhunt and received information that he was in the Los Angeles area. 

He was tracked to a huge $1.5 million yacht, the largest in the bay at the time, however he reportedly became aware he was on cops' radar and knew they were closing in. 

It is unclear how Gale acquired the money for the multi-million dollar vessel, although reports allege he was known to embezzle and swindle funds from people he knew.  

Before cops could breach his yacht this week, Gale fled in his vehicle and led police on a chase through Los Angeles.

Footage captured the moment police threw a spike strip in front of Gale's vehicle, ending the 90-minute pursuit soon after. 

He was taken into custody outside the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and images showed him being taken away on a stretcher. 

Gale was taken into custody outside the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and images showed him being taken away on a stretcher

He has since missed two court dates due to medical issues, including for a separate charge related to theft and check forgery in 1996. 

Following Gale's arrest, locals in the Los Angeles marina where he was allegedly evading the law on his yacht were shocked to discover he was a suspected serial predator. 

'Are you kidding me,' local Don Smollet told KTLA when he was told this week. 

'Well, I’ve talked to him. I don’t know a lot about him, but I’ve talked to him many, many times. He’s been here. He remodeled that boat. He brought it here.' 

Smollett added that Gale told people he was connected to the Dior fashion company, and even named his yacht after the brand.