SAN DIEGO - A 35-year-old man was in custody in San Diego Monday for allegedly choking his girlfriend and slamming her head into a car's dash board in a jealous rage before ramming a police car and going on the lam for several hours.

Tommy Madriaga was arrested on suspicion of spousal abuse, assault with a deadly weapon and other counts early Sunday evening at the Rodeway Inn in Pacific Beach, according to San Diego police Officer David Stafford.

Around midnight, Madriaga and his girlfriend were at a party at the Embassy Suites on Harbor Drive when Madriaga became jealous and the couple left in the woman's car, Stafford said in a statement.

While in the car, Madriaga choked his girlfriend before slamming her head into the dash board, Stafford said.

As the couple drove near Loring Street and Lamont Street, a police officer happened to be in the area and the girlfriend used the opportunity to bail out of the car and run away, he said.

Madriaga then allegedly rammed the car into the police car before driving away. He abandoned the car in the 4900 block of Collingwood Drive and fled on foot, Stafford said.

Around 6 p.m., investigators tracked Madriaga to the Rodeway Inn in Pacific Beach and arrested him on suspicion of spousal abuse, assault with a deadly weapon, dissuading a witness, false imprisonment, failure to yield and hit-and-run, Stafford said.