MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A Coral Gables police officer has been relieved of duty after he was arrested for allegedly beating up his girlfriend, also a police department employee.

Coral Gables Police Officer Kelly Denham confirmed to CBS4 News that Officer Eric Plescow, 26, has been suspended without pay pending criminal charges.

Plescow, a 4 year veteran of the department, was arrested Sunday by Miami-Dade police after his girlfriend, a dispatcher for the department, ran from the home they share and called police. She said she was afraid.

According to an arrest affidavit filed by Miami-Dade police, Officer Plescow and his girlfriend, whose name we are withholding because she is allegedly the victim of domestic violence, were returning from a wedding when the girlfriend asked Plescow if he was cheating on her.

According to the affidavit, this apparently upset the cop. He started punching the dashboard, and the girlfriend apparently opened the car door.The affidavit claims Officer Plescow apparently grabbed her by the neck and held her until they arrived home.

Once inside, the report said the two continued arguing, at one point breaking a closet door when Plescow allegedly grabbed his girlfriend by the neck and forcing her into a closet door with such force that it broke. The affidavit said she started punching Plescow in the rib, and he again grabbed her neck and bit her on the lip.

The girlfriend was trying to get ready for work, and police said Plescow handed her his phone and tried to force her to call out sick. Police said that’s when she ran from the home and called for help.

Plescow was charged with three counts of simple battery and processed through the Miami-Dade Corrections system. He was released after an appearance in bond court, during which he told the judge she had moved out. The judge told him to stay away from her.

Attempts to reach Plescow Monday were unsuccessful