A 43-year-old man was verbally assaulted, punched and had a piece of his ear bitten off while parked on the 500 block of Redwood Street, in what police are calling a hate crime on Jan. 26.

At approximately 11:10 p.m., the victim and his companions were approached by the suspect while double parked on Redwood Street. The assailant drove up behind the victim and became agitated when the vehicle did not move.

The assailant told them to get out of the way and called them “faggots,” San Diego police Lt. Margaret Schaufelberger said. When the victim got out of the car to confront the suspect, the assailant punched him, knocking him to the ground and bit off a piece of his ear. The assailant then began kicking the vehicle and broke the passenger-side rear window.

The suspect has not yet been apprehended. He has been described as a black male, between the ages of 28 to 35, approximately 6-feet tall and 220-240 pounds. He was driving a light-colored, newer vehicle, possibly an SUV.

The police department is continuing its investigation and is actively pursuing all leads. If you have any information about this incident, contact Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-TIPS.