A man in China has reportedly been arrested for allegedly killing his neighbor after spending two decades evading authorities by pretending to be a deaf mute.

A 56-year-old man known only by his surname, Xiao, was recently apprehended in the mountains in Anxi county, Fujian Province, authorities said, according to China Daily. Xiao had reportedly been wanted by the police for 20 years for allegedly killing a neighbor in a heated row in 2004 in Xianyang. Xiao fled his home village of Oumio Daying after allegedly striking his neighbor over the head with a shovel, killing the man instantly, Oddity Central reported.

The man avoided suspicion for two decades by pretending to be mute and deaf, according to China Daily. He survived posing as a deaf and mute scavenger, never revealing his past and not making contact with the wife and 11-year-old son he left behind, Oddity Central reported. He only communicated with people he met through smiles and gestures, according to the outlet.

“Due to his portrayal of being deaf and mute, he rarely communicated with anyone,” Xianyang police officer Zhang Zhiwei stated, China Daily reported. “People simply greeted him and moved on. This is how he managed to evade detection for so long.”

Xiao didn’t seem too upset that he was finally caught and immediately admitted his identity to the officers who confronted him, Oddity Central reported. “I have been holding back my words for 20 years, and I felt that I was going crazy…When I left, my son was 11, and now 20 years have passed, I wonder how my family is doing?” he reportedly told them. (RELATED: U.S. Marshals Believe A Famous Fugitive Might Have Been Spotted At A Red Sox/Dodgers Game)

Since his arrest the man has returned to the scene of his fight with his neighbor two decades earlier, and described to authorities what happened on that day, the outlet reported. He remains in custody and will face charges for the alleged killing he absconded over, according to China Daily.