A young missionary was shot dead in Honduras with his alleged killer forced to run away on foot after his escape bike failed to start.

Jonathan Ernesto Ordonez, 27, was fatally shot five times on his way home from church.

Witnesses alleged the killer drove over to him, pulled a gun out and shot time, before trying to flee the scene.

But video footage captured at the time shows the apparent assailant struggling to get his bike restarted before grabbing his victim's rucksack which was full of Bibles. When his bike fails to start he instead pushes it and runs up the road.

The harrowing footage was posted onto social media with police appealing for information.

Officers have since confirmed they have arrested a 39-year-old man named Wilmer Leonel Sierra on suspicion of murder, according to the Daily Mail.

Police said he has a criminal record with convictions for homicides, drug trafficking and making threats to kill.

An investigation is ongoing.

Honduras is one of the world's most dangerous countries and the Church, which is influential in the largely Catholic country, is frequently targeted by gangs and violent crime.