Australian accused of throwing girlfriend from 13th floor apartment to her death in Peru

A Brisbane man has been arrested in Peru after he allegedly threw his girlfriend from her parent's 13th floor apartment to her death.

Daniel Brookes, 38, was detained after the body of nursing student Maria Elena Huilcanina Ocampo, 30, was found at the base of her building in Lima in the early hours of Sunday morning, El Popular reports.

The couple had been out drinking earlier in the day and neighbours said they heard the pair arguing before Ms Ocampo plunged to her death.

Ms Ocampo was found to have blood belonging to Brookes under her nails, according to local media reports.

Brookes had been living in Peru with his girlfriend's family for two weeks after leaving Australia three months ago to set up a business to export Volkswagen Kombis from Peru to Australia, according to Brookes' friend Simon Moore.

Mr Moore, said he heard from the 38-year-old over the weekend there was no suggestion of any problems.

He said he did not believe the allegations, adding that Brookes was "A real happy, easy-going Aussie bloke".

"He is not a criminal, it's not his nature," he told the Courier Mail.