A hit-and-run driver who has admitted killing a 10-year-old girl in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, has been apprehended.

Fu Zhongtao, 29, was caught in an internet cafe in Shenyang, capital of the neighboring province of Liaoning on Friday.

He confessed to the crime, saying he fled in a bid to escape punishment.

"I feel wicked, and I really fear being jailed for my crime," he was quoted by Xinhua News Agency as saying.

Fu said it was inhuman of him to drag the young girl, Xiao Jinping, for nearly 3,000 meters beneath the wheels of his car after running her over.

Local media said that around 60 people witnessed the incident on Tuesday afternoon. Despite their shouting and pleading, Fu did not stop.

The tragedy happened as the girl and her father, uncle and aunt were on their way home after visiting a cousin at a juvenile prison.

The girl died from head injuries on the spot.

The incident shocked local police, who widened their search to surrounding provinces after it was clear Fu had absconded, and a special team was marshaled to hunt for him.

The car involved, a white Lincoln, was found in a residential area of the city on Wednesday. It was reported that Fu had borrowed it from a friend.

"I was a coward for not going to the police," Fu told Xinhua. He has been transferred to Changchun Public Security Bureau while investigations continue.

(China Daily February 7, 2005)