A woman was attacked and left with life-threatening injuries early Wednesday in the Tenderloin, all over a refused cigarette.

The 37-year-old woman was reportedly approached around 3:40 am Wednesday in the area of Hyde and O'Farrell streets by a man asking to bum a cigarette. As Bay City News reports, the woman said she didn't have any and the suspect then allegedly hit her multiple times.

The victim was reportedly hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

The suspect has been described as a man in his 30s, and he remains at large.

Violence like this has been infrequent in the Tenderloin since the start of the new year, at least according to published reports. The city's fourth homicide of the year took place on the 100 block of Hyde Street in early March. And there was a possibly drug-related mass shooting in January near Turk and Hyde streets — next to the Turk and Hyde Mini Park.

Anyone with information about this latest case is asked to call the Police Department's tip line at 415-575-4444 or to send a tip by text message to TIP411 with "SFPD" at the start of the message.

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