NORTH PROVIDENCE — When a stranger chatted up a 19-year-old woman on the street in Centredale Saturday, the police say, he mentioned that he was from South Carolina.

Several hours later, after the man allegedly put a knife to her throat, dragged her behind the E911 Uniform Emergency Telephone System offices at 1951 Smith St. and raped her around noon, that clue would prove instrumental in his arrest, according to the police.

Jonathan Archie, 21, of Apt. 2, 1909 Smith St., was arrested late Saturday night in front of his apartment house, not far from the scene of the alleged assault, the police say. He was charged with first-degree sexual assault, assault with intent to rape, kidnapping and robbery.

Maj. Paul Martellini said that the police were initially stumped in their search for the suspect, despite canvassing the neighborhood with a police dog. But later Saturday afternoon, when the details of the crime were relayed during roll call at police headquarters, Patrolman Pietro Bellone recalled that another patrolman, Jeremy Bibby, had handled a domestic call a week earlier involving a man from South Carolina.

Police staked out the apartment building of the domestic call, while detectives headed to the home of a judge to obtain search and arrest warrants. But before they could obtain the warrants, Archie emerged from the building and was arrested.

Martellini said that Archie matched the description given by his alleged victim, including the clothing he still wore at the time of his arrest.

According to the police report, the woman said that Archie took about $5 from her purse after raping her. The woman, who fled to a nearby hair salon to call the police, was treated at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, the police said.

A week earlier, Martellini said, the police received an anonymous complaint about a possible domestic disturbance at the Smith Street apartment that Archie shared with his girlfriend. Responding to the scene, they found the couple arguing, but nothing to warrant charges.

But in doing a criminal background check of Archie, the police found an outstanding warrant involving a burglary charge in South Carolina. They checked with the authorities there, who declined to seek extradition; otherwise, Martellini said, Archie would have been taken into custody for return to South Carolina.

mstanton@projo.com