A shopping trip in San Francisco's Chinatown turned violent Wednesday morning, when the patron of a store ended up punching the store's owner in the face.

Police say that the altercation began at 9:50 a.m. Wednesday, at a store located on the 600 block of Kearny Street, which is between Sacramento and Clay Streets.

According to the San Francsico Police Department, a man in his 40s "entered a business and argued with the owner over a purchased item."

As the dispute escalated, the shopper struck the 54-year-old business owner "several times with a closed fist," police say.

The victim was transported to San Francisco General Hospital for treatment of lacerations to the face, injuries police say are not life threatening. His attacker fled on foot, and remains at large as of publication time.