A 75-year-old man was arrested by Saudi police 43 years after an arrest warrant was first issued against him in a fatal hit and run case.

The incident took place decades ago in Al Taif and saw the defendant run over a man and leave him for dead. The victim's family, however, was adamant on keeping the case alive as they have constantly been following up on it without losing hope. 

Late on Tuesday, the family finally got the call it's long been waiting for; authorities contacted the victim's relatives with news of the detainment. 

The fugitive's arrest came after police followed tips in the case and pinpointed his whereabouts. The man admitted to the crime during interrogations and has now been referred to court in order to face charges in the decades-long case. 

A team of investigators in Al Taif's legal department had been closely overseeing the case over the years. 

The moment the man was located, the head of the governorate's traffic police department, General Ali bin Fayhan Al Shibani, issued an arrest warrant against him and ordered his immediate detainment. 

News of the case perplexed people on Twitter because it's sort of a one-of-a-kind incident for a fugitive to have been on the run for so long in the kingdom. 

The man's arrest polarized people's opinions with many saying he should be pardoned due to his age and others arguing he should be held accountable for taking someone's life without taking any action to try and save them.

A few tried to make excuses for the fugitive

"A 75-year-old man, God help us. I pray that the victim's family forego their right in the case. And one question: How did they arrest him after 43 years!!!"

Others defended him

"It's an accident not a pre-meditated murder... so many similar incidents always occur. Those asking how he could live with himself... he didn't mean to kill anyone. Sometimes, people don't do the right thing out of fear." 

But many were having none of that

"Time doesn't cancel-out rights."

Several tweeps had only one question

"How was he able to sleep all these years??"