SANFORD, Fla. – A Sanford police lieutenant has been relieved of duty after he allegedly punched a woman in the face, officials said.

The Sanford Police Department said it was notified early Saturday that Lt. Joseph Santiago had been arrested for domestic violence by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.

The incident surrounding Santiago's arrest happened while he was off duty, Sanford police said.

According to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office arrest report, authorities responded to a disturbance call Saturday in Sanford.

A woman told deputies, while they were at a location in Daytona Beach, Santiago did not like what she said. The arrest report said Santiago "head-butted" the woman.

The two returned to an address and during a verbal argument, the woman said Santiago put his hand into a fist and punched her in the face. The woman told deputies that because she had blood "shooting" out of her nose, she called 911, according to the arrest report. The woman was taken to Central Florida Hospital.

Santiago was arrested and taken without incident to John E. Polk Correctional Facility, where he was processed with no bond, the arrest report said.

"Lt. Santiago has been relieved of duty pending the results of the internal investigation," Chief Cecil Smith said. "We hold our officers, regardless of rank, to the highest standards of conduct and ethics both on duty, and in their personal lives. We will conduct a fair and thorough internal investigation into the incident, and be as transparent in that process as possible. It is important for the purposes of a sound investigation that all policy and protocol be followed. We ask for the community's support and patience as we navigate this process."

Santiago has been relieved of duty and placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, Sanford police said.