Officers alleged the two men—Deanis John Smith and Cameron Joseph Kemmis—entered the property in Sarnia, Ontario, at about 7.15 p.m. on Friday, smashing down the front door before threatening the occupants with a hammer.

One of the suspects then demanded money that he said was owed to him, according to police.

But the pair quickly realized they were not in the property they had intended to break into and apologized—even offering to cover the cost of repairing damage, Sarnia Police Service said.

“On Friday, December 11, 2020, at approximately 7:15 p.m. the residents of a home in the 700 block of Kipling Street were watching TV downstairs when they heard a loud bang from a door being smashed open,” the force said in a statement.

“When the occupants attended to see what had happened they were confronted by two individuals, one of which was holding a hammer over their head. The man holding the hammer then demanded money that was supposedly owed to him.

“As the situation developed the two men realized that they had broken into the wrong address and left the home without further incident after apologizing and offering to pay for the damage.”

Kemmis, from Sarnia, and Smith, from Keswick—both aged 27—were arrested shortly afterwards. They have been charged with breaking and entering, mischief under $5,000 and possession of a dangerous weapon.

Incidents of remorseful criminals apologizing for their actions are nothing new.

In August, police in St. Thomas, Ontario, found a note from a thief saying sorry to the owners of a property that had been ransacked.

The owners had been away for the weekend and returned to find someone had broken into their home through a bathroom window.

They reported the inside of the property smelled of marijuana and the kitchen had been damaged.

Jewelry and bottles of liquor were also missing, but the suspected burglar had left a note apologizing.

Police said the suspected thief was known to the homeowners and an investigation was launched.

In Kentucky four years ago, thieves who stole a boat from a marina went back a day later to return it and leave an apology note.

The note read: “I am very sorry. I do not know why I did it in the first place. It’s way out of my character. That is not what kind of person I am. I do not even remember doing it. I am so sorry. I know this does not make it ok, but it is your stuff, not mine. Again, I am very sorry.”