British tourist ‘is raped’ in Argentina by fellow backpacker before suspect is arrested ‘trying to flee hostel by coach’

A man accused of raping a British tourist was captured by police in Argentina after a police chase.

The Italian citizen was arrested when he was allegedly trying to flee from a hostel in the city of Mendoza, in western Argentina, where both he and the British tourist were staying.

The police detained him on a bus in the province of Buenos Aires that was heading towards Misiones, in the northeast of the South American country.

The 31-year-old man was detained under an arrest warrant issued by a Mendoza court after his alleged victim filed a formal complaint.

He is said to have been found in possession of a small amount of cocaine when police arrested him.

Although he was traveling with an Italian passport, the man detained by the police lives in London.

The alleged rape was reported last Friday.

The arrest took place today at a police checkpoint on a main road called Route 9, near the city of San Nicolás de los Arroyos, two and a half kilometers north of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires.

Detectives had received a tip that he was in the vehicle and headed to the city of Misiones, near Argentina’s border with Paraguay and Brazil.

The suspect will now be taken back to Mendoza for questioning.

Authorities released photos of them arresting the wanted man on the bus he was traveling on.

An armed police officer photographed him with his hands handcuffed behind his back.