Mass. fugitive sought in multi-state crime spree

BOSTON - A Massachusetts man wanted in numerous violent crimes including child rape, kidnapping, assault and robbery in an alleged multi-state crime spree may be heading back to the East Coast, reports CBS Boston.

26-year-old Gregory Lewis has been placed on the Massachusetts State Police most wanted list and has been linked to crimes there and in Colorado, North Carolina and Oregon, reports the station.

State Police spokesman Dave Procopio told the station Lewis was spotted in Columbus, Ohio Sunday night, a day or two after being seen out west. Despite news reports that Lewis could be heading home to Massachusetts, Procopio told the station his destination isn't known.

"If we can discern a route from Ohio to Massachusetts, we're going to contact police departments along the way. It's pretty evident he's going to continue to commit violent crimes until he's stopped," Procopio told the Boston Herald.

Lewis is believed to be armed and police say he is targeting escorts as his victims, reports the paper.

"Multiple" victims include "escorts he's arranging to meet at a predetermined location," Procopio told the paper.

Saturday, Denver police announced Lewis is wanted on sexual assault, kidnapping and robbery charges stemming from an October incident in Denver.

Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson told Crimesider he wouldn't go into detail about the alleged crime in Denver to protect the victim, but said the victim was an adult female.

"He's a bad man," Jackson told CBS Denver. "He's somebody we consider to be a sexual predator, someone we are concerned about being out in our community."

According to the Massachusetts State Police, Lewis, of Southbridge, Mass., was arrested Aug. 5 in Southbridge and charged with sexual assault of a child under the age of 14. While out on bond in the child rape case, Lewis allegedly cut off his court-ordered GPS tracking device Sept. 15, leaving it in the front yard of his alleged victim, and fled to North Carolina.

Lewis allegedly kidnapped, assaulted and robbed a woman in Charlotte on Sept. 23. On Sept. 25, he returned to a family home in Southbridge, where he allegedly violently assaulted, handcuffed and robbed a family member, according to Massachusetts State Police.

The alleged victim was Lewis' stepfather, reports CBS Denver.

Lewis allegedly stole cash, a 9 mm handgun and more than 200 rounds of ammunition, police say. He fled in a stolen blue 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee, with Massachusetts license plates 85GF63.

CBS affiliate KOIN reports Lewis is also allegedly being looked at in an Oct. 13 sexual assault of a woman at a hotel in Portland, Oregon.

Authorities say Lewis and should be considered armed and dangerous and has made suicidal, homicidal and "suicide by cop" threats. He's described as a white man about 6 feet tall and 235 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Police say he has tattoos of a hand holding a knife on his chest and a demonic woman on his left arm.

Authorities are urging anyone who sees Lewis not to approach him and to contact police immediately.