7:40AM ET: Lindsay’s about to be released with a desk appearance ticket … meaning she’ll have to appear before a judge sometime in the near future.

8:00AM ET: Lindsay Lohan has been released and was seen leaving the police station with a jacket covering her face.

Lindsay Lohan was ARRESTED at 4 AM Thursday in New York City for allegedly punching a woman at a New York City nightclub… law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

Sources say Lohan was at Club Avenue when she got into some sort of argument with a female patron and it became physical.  We’re told cops came and arrested Lindsay for allegedly assaulting her.

Law enforcement says prior to the fight words were exchanged between Lindsay and the woman as they sat in separate booths near each other.  Lindsay said something to the effect of, “Give me my space.”  Some time passed and then, for some reason, Lindsay allegedly punched the girl in the left side of her face.

By the time cops arrived Lindsay had left the club and was a passenger in a car that was leaving the area.  Cops intercepted the car and made the arrest.

And this isn’t Lindsay’s only legal problem.  TMZ broke the story… she is about to be charged with lying to cops in June after her car accident on Pacific Coast Highway.  She told them she was a passenger in the Porsche when actually she was driving.

And, if Lindsay is formally charged with the latest crime, it could trigger yet another probation violation.

Story developing …

Read more at TMZ.