A letter of apology sent to a robbery victim spelled arrest for a Japanese man after police investigating the case identified him from the handwriting.
NHK television said the man had pushed his way into the house of a 78-year-old woman in the town of Misato, western Japan, and stole 15,000 yen (73 pounds) after threatening her with a knife.
He later wrote the victim a letter saying he was sorry and returning the cash.
The handwriting "and other things" led police to the man, a 51-year-old construction worker who lives near the victim, NHK said. The man, who has confessed, is heavily in debt, it said.
NHK did not say how the handwriting was linked to the man.
A local police official declined to give details, saying an investigation was still under way.