A man wanted for allegedly killing and robbing an elderly man last week in Hiroshima Prefecture was arrested Wednesday in a city about 300 kilometers away, police said.
Yukinobu Tomita, 34, was spotted riding a bicycle in the city of Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, and detained by local police after being questioned.
He was arrested on suspicion of stabbing to death Kazuhiro Uematsu, 86, and stealing cash from him between the evening of Feb. 19 and the early morning of the following day after breaking into Uematsu's home, which he shared with his 88-year-old wife.
Tomita, a resident of Kure, Hiroshima, has admitted to stabbing Uematsu, saying he did so because he was seen by Uematsu, the police said.
Uematsu was found collapsed bleeding heavily by his wife on Feb. 20, according to the police. He had been stabbed 10 times, including wounds to his neck and chest.
Uematsu's wallet and cards were found in the home but no cash was discovered, investigative sources said. DNA matching Tomita's was found in blood traces at the scene, leading to him being put on a nationwide wanted list on Sunday, they said.
After the incident, it was confirmed that Tomita was treated with nine stitches to his left hand at a Hiroshima hospital.
A man resembling Tomita was captured by security cameras at JR stations in the city of Fukuyama in Hiroshima Prefecture, and in neighboring Okayama Prefecture.
On Monday he visited two convenience stores in Osaka and asked a clerk at one of them how to get to Tokyo. Security camera footage showed he was riding a bicycle.