A man accused of sexually assaulting women at a Framingham department store in the 1980s has been arrested after leading police on a car chase in Los Angeles.

Police arrested Stephen Paul Gale, 71, on Thursday when he surrendered to police just before 5:30 p.m. pacific time, according to Los Angeles news outlets.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan in May identified Gale as the suspect linked to a 34-year-old rape case at the former Hit or Miss Store on Route 9 in Framingham.

The U.S. Marshals Service, at the time of identification, announced it would offer a $5,000 reward for information leading to Gale’s arrest.

That prompted a nationwide manhunt which culminated in Thursday’s car chase through neighborhoods of Los Angeles.

Gale faces four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping and one count of armed robbery of two women from the assault more than three decades ago.

Behind the wheel of a dark Lincoln SUV, Gale drove at a “moderate rate of speed,” “obeying stop signs” as he led the chase on the 405 Freeway and city streets, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

“For the majority of the chase, he was able to avoid spike strips and PIT maneuver attempts,” the station reported. “However, Gale ran over a spike strip in the Westwood area and at least one tire went flat. He didn’t slow down after the spike strip and was seen driving around the congested UCLA medical area.”

The pursuit started before 4 p.m. pacific time in the Wilmington neighborhood. Gale eventually surrendered more than an hour later.

Gale, who stands 5’11” and weighs about 200 pounds, was last known to be living in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. He also may have ties to Arizona, Texas, Utah and Florida. He was previously connected to organized crime.

Gale’s “horrific” rape case has “haunted” the Framingham community for decades, officials said in May.

The alleged crime unfolded on Dec. 27, 1989, when Gale entered the Hit or Miss department store, showing a .357 Magnum handgun and forcing two female employees to the back of the store, police said.

He made one of the women empty the money from a locked safe, the store’s register and her pocketbook into a bag. He made the second victim lock the doors, and put a sign on the front door saying the store would open late.

Gale is then accused of forcing the women to take off their clothes and placed them in separate rooms. He sexually assaulted both women while holding the gun to their heads, police said.

When Gale returned to the front of the store, the women fled out the rear fire door to a nearby home.

Police collected evidence and obtained the suspect’s DNA. A DNA profile was developed for the suspect and uploaded to a database in 2001, but there were never any hits identifying the suspect.

In 2022, Middlesex prosecutors and the Framingham Police contracted with Parabon Nanolabs to conduct an investigative genetic genealogy to try to develop new leads to ID the suspect.

After additional police investigation, DNA samples were obtained from members of Gale’s family. This DNA evidence provided probable cause to identify Gale and led to his arrest warrant.

“Today’s announcement comes as a result of persistent investigatory work and a collaborative effort across law enforcement agencies nationwide,” Ryan said in May at her Middlesex DA office. “When I started our Cold Case Unit in 2019 I made a commitment to pursuing all available options to provide answers for victims.

“I am grateful for the efforts made so far to locate Mr. Gale,” she added, “and I hope that by raising the profile of this case across the country, we will locate him so that he can be held accountable for his alleged actions.”