Hate Crime Charge to Be Sought in Beating of Man : Violence: Police say they were told high school student planned to go to gay area in Laguna Beach to attack someone.

LAGUNA BEACH —  Police said Sunday they will ask prosecutors to file a hate crime charge against an 18-year-old San Clemente High School senior being held in the attempted murder of a man who was attacked in a largely gay area of town.

Police said they decided to seek the additional charge against Jeff Michael Raines of San Juan Capistrano after interviews with at least eight juveniles who accompanied the ex-high school football player here Friday night.

Police Chief Neil J. Purcell said Sunday that one juvenile claimed that Raines earlier Friday evening had said: “Let’s go down to Mountain Street to get some fags.” That comment, Purcell said, enabled police to establish that the attack was a hate crime.

Conviction under the state’s hate crime law carries a one-year prison sentence. Raines, who police said is about 6-foot-1 and weighs 200 pounds, was being held Sunday at Orange County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.

None of the juveniles--most of whom are students at San Clemente High School--have been arrested because police do not believe that any of them participated in the beating. Purcell said investigators are looking into whether there was a criminal conspiracy.

Meanwhile, police said Sunday that they believed they had identified the victim, who was so badly beaten at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday that investigators could not immediately determine his identity. But investigators did not release the man’s identity pending notification of relatives.

Sgt. Lance Ishmael said the victim is Asian, in his 50s, about 5-foot-7 and weighs about 125 pounds. He was identified by matching his description with that of the owner of a car parked near the beating.

The victim was in critical condition Sunday night at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo.

Police said he was pushed down onto a rocky shelf of beach and his head was repeatedly stomped on. Hospital employees said the man’s head is so swollen he is virtually unrecognizable, officials said.

Police said the attack evidently began after the man allegedly made a derogatory comment to Raines and one of the juveniles. Investigators have been unable to interview the victim.

Residents of Laguna Beach said they were shocked and outraged by the beating.

“People are really angry,” said a waiter at the Little Shrimp bar who identified himself only as Rusty. “It frightens people. It makes our community feel unsafe.”

The Laguna Beach City Council held an emergency meeting Saturday and officials are calling for a re-evaluation of public safety measures in the area of the attack.

The beating occurred on a stretch of beach that is frequented by many Laguna Beach residents and tourists. A fireworks display attracts large crowds every July 4.

But several men interviewed Sunday said that the beach has been the site of previous gay-bashings and harassment.

Some bartenders and shopkeepers said they warn newcomers to avoid the beach at night.

“We tell every new face we see not to go,” said Vince Savelle, a bartender at Main Street, a gay bar.

Times staff writers Len Hall, Timothy Chou and correspondent Anna Cekola contributed to this article.