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By Lookout Staff

September 27, 2011 -- Santa Monica police are asking for the public's help in identifying two suspects wanted for the brutal beating of a man near the city's eastern border early Thursday morning.

The victim was walking west on the northern sidewalk of the 3100 block of Santa Monica Boulevard at about 2 a.m., when he was approached by two men who attacked him without provocation, police say.

He was beaten severely about his head and neck, according to police, and is currently in critical condition in a local hospital.

The suspects fled the scene west on Santa Monica Boulevard, then north on Berkeley Street and out of sight, police say. They had been seen in the area several days before the attack.

Police have released an image from a surveillance video showing the two suspects.

Surveillance video image of assault suspects. Image from Santa Monica Police Department

The suspect to the left in the image is described as a white man in his late 20's, six to six feet three inches tall weighing between 200 and 225 pounds. He wore a dark-colored Arizona Diamondbacks baseball hat, a white long-sleeved shirt, dark shorts and dark shoes.

The suspect to the right is described as a white man in his late 20's, five foot seven inches to five foot ten inches tall weighing approximately 170 pounds, with a muscular build and short dark-colored hair. He was wearing a dark t-shirt, dark pants and dark shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Chad Goodwin at (310) 458-8942, Sergeant Ira Rutan at (310) 458-8959 or the Santa Monica Police Department (24 hours) at (310) 458-8495.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call WE Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME (1-800-78-27643), or submit the tip online at www.wetip.com You will remain completely anonymous and may be eligible for a reward, up to $1,000.00 if your information leads to an arrest and conviction.

Or you can contact Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or by
visiting their website at www.lacrimestoppers.org . To text an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers, please view their webpage for detailed instructions. If the information leads to an arrest, the tipster is eligible to receive a reward up to $1,000.00.