A 34-year-old homeless woman was taken to the hospital in serious condition yesterday morning after a man who allegedly was in the process of stealing her cigarettes began beating her with one of her own crutches.

The women, who has a prosthetic leg, told police she was sleeping about 6:55 a.m. near the intersection of Coral and Ilalo streets in Kakaako when the man began attacking her.

She said the man punched and kicked her several times and took away her handbag.

The woman told police that when she resisted, the man grabbed one of her crutches and used it to hit her several times, knocking out one of her teeth.

She said the man then took a pack of cigarettes out of her bag and walked away.

When police arrived, witnesses pointed out the suspect, a 26-year-old man from a Mokauea Street address in Kalihi, who was arrested on suspicion of first-degree robbery.