Men shouting racist slurs viciously beat black man in Des Moines -- and are still on the loose: report

Police in Iowa are searching for three white men after a black man was beaten early Saturday morning.

"A Des Moines man was assaulted early Saturday morning by multiple suspects, one of whom made racist comments during the attack, police say," the Des Moines Registerreported. "A 22-year-old black man was on his way to his girlfriend's house when he was attacked by three white males at about 3:25 a.m. Saturday in the 5200 block of South Union Street, according to court documents."

The victim was hospitalized with "significant, non-life-threatening injuries.

The newspaper interviewed a witness who discovered the victim after hearing him screaming for help.

"He told us (the suspects) were trying to kill him," Tyia Campbell said. "He was bloody, he said he couldn't breathe and thought he was dying."

She said at least two of the perpetrators were shouting racist slurs at her and her friends.

"They were screaming 'F you, F-ing monkeys need to get out of our area, we're going to get all of you out of here,'" Campbell recalled. "I held his hand until the ambulance came. I just hope he's OK."