Tourists pepper-sprayed in possible hate crime

Police are investigating a report of a hate crime Saturday night outside a restaurant in San Francisco’s Western Addition neighborhood.

At about 7:30 p.m. two men from New York were at a restaurant near Golden Gate Avenue and Fillmore Street. One man was inside ordering food while the other was outside.

Police said two suspects went up the man outside the restaurant and uttered homophobic slurs. Then three more suspects got out of a minivan and confronted the victim, according to police.

When the man inside ordering food saw the confrontation, he came outside. Police said then both victims were sprayed with pepper spray.

The victims called out for help and the suspects fled in the minivan, police said.

The suspects are described as five black men, 25 to 35 years old, according to police.

Officers responded and rendered aid to the victims. Paramedics also responded and treated the two men.

The suspects are still at large. Anyone with information about the incident is being asked to either call the Police Department’s tip line at (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and start the message with SFPD.