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Suspect of 1989 Framingham rapes granted bail in Los Angeles

FRAMINGHAM – A man wanted in connection with the alleged 1989 rape of two women in Framingham appeared in a Los Angeles court Tuesday for the first time since his Aug. 8 arrest.

Stephen Paul Gale, 71, was charged with check forgery in 1996 in Los Angeles. A Van Nuys West Superior Court judge ordered bail set at $2 million.

According to ABC7 in LA, Gale was brought to court on a stretcher. His lawyer told the judge that Gale had recently had heart surgery and was feeling unwell. He was scheduled to appear in court last Friday and Monday, but the court hearings were postponed due to health reasons. The lawyer asked that Gale be released without bail.

Gale was wanted for the 1989 rape of two women at the now-closed Hit-or-Miss clothing store on Route 9 in Framingham. Authorities say he raped two women at gunpoint after entering the store posing as a customer.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan publicly named Gale as a suspect in May after she said he was identified through DNA testing.

Gale, who lived on a yacht, according to ABC 7, was arrested in Los Angeles on August 8 after a chase lasting more than an hour.

More: Rape suspect from Framingham barred from appearing in court in Los Angeles

He is accused of four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping and one count of armed robbery.

It is unknown when Gale will be returned to Massachusetts to face charges in Middlesex Superior Court. A transfer hearing has not yet been scheduled and he has the right to fight the transfer and oppose his return to Massachusetts.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or [email protected]. For public safety updates, follow Norman Miller on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

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