WASHINGTON (AP) - DC police say the beating of two men in northeast may be a hate crime.

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After a night out, the couple's driver got lost, so they decided to hop out and walk the last few blocks home.

But, officers say shortly after midnight on Sunday, while the two were walking in the 1900 block of 3rd Street three suspects approached and yelled homophobic slurs at them.

Police say the suspects beat the men; 29-year-old yoga instructor Michael Hall was knocked to the ground, shattering the bones in his face. He is being treated at a local hospital.

His partner, Michael Roike took a string of hits trying to protect Hall.

"We were just walking down the street when these guys started hitting us and we just tried to protect ourselves," Roike said.

Roike's mother, Michele Roike-Brown, added, "It is my worst nightmares, dreams coming true."

During the attack, a woman came out of her home, shouting at the assailants. The suspects then fled the area.

Roike says he wants to thank her.

"If it wasn't for her, who knows how long it would have gone on...," he added. 

The police department's Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit was notified of the crime.