Gregory J. Lewis, a fugitive child rape suspect from Southbridge, was taken into custody in New York Tuesday night after fleeing from police and crashing his vehicle into a river, Mass. State Police said.
Lewis is suspected of committing at least six sexual assaults since cutting off a court-ordered GPS monitoring device and fleeing Massachusetts last month. He was spotted in the Columbus, Ohio, area Sunday night, prompting a public alert that he could resurface in his home state.
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In a statement posted on mspnews.org, Massachusetts State Police said a New York State Police trooper observed Lewis driving with a missing license plate on his car. When the trooper attempted to stop the vehicle, it fled into the Village of Fort Edward in upstate New York.
Shortly thereafter, 911 calls reported a vehicle had crashed into a nearby river. Officers who responded to the 911 calls took Lewis into custody. Lewis reportedly had a gun but was caught at the scene without any gunfire.
'Massachusetts authorities will seek his rendition to stand trial for the sexual assault of the Southbridge girl,' the State Police statement said.
Authorities said Lewis, 26, has targeted women he has arranged to meet through escort services. The women have been handcuffed, robbed, and sexually assaulted, State Police said.
Lewis was arrested Aug. 5 in Southbridge, a town near Worcester, and charged with assault of the child. While out on $1,000 bail on Sept. 15, he removed the monitoring bracelet and left it in his alleged victim's front yard before fleeing.
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