Argentine incest suspect Armando Lucero dies

Armando Lucero, covering his face, was being held in prison

An Argentine man accused of fathering seven children with his daughter has died while awaiting trial, officials have said.

Prison officials say Armando Lucero, 68, died of a respiratory infection in the town of Mendoza.

Prosecutors accused him of subjecting his daughter to two decades of abuse.

The alleged incest with the woman, now in her thirties, began when she was eight. He was also accused of raping two of his other daughters.

According to media reports, Mr Lucero lived with his daughter, their children, as well as his second wife and stepmother.

The daughter, who has not been publicly named, went to the authorities for help after her father threatened to sexually abuse one of her daughters.

The case sparked outrage in Argentina, and local media dubbed Mr Lucero the "monster of Mendoza".

Mr Melgares said Mr Lucero had died after being transferred from prison to hospital in Mendoza, about 1,000km (620 miles) west of Buenos Aires.