SAN DIEGO -- A possible anti-gay hate crime in the middle of Hillcrest left one man at the bottom of a concrete stairway with bruises and broken bones Sunday. San Diego police said the incident occured after the victim tried to help a woman in trouble in the 3600 block of 3rd Avenue.

"There's a plate on both sides and pins on both sides," Josh Millerd said as he described his bandaged arm. Millerd said the pain is intense and so are the feelings after a night of relaxation turned violent.

Millerd was on a condo balcony in Hillcrest last Sunday night when he saw a couple arguing on the sidewalk.

"He was getting in her face, putting his chest in her face, telling her she was cheating on him," Millerd said.

When the man became more threatening, Millerd went outside to try to break it up but the man became aggressive and confrontational and backed Millerd up to the top of a concrete stairway.

"He said, 'are you trying to hit on my girlfriend too?'" Millard said. "I said, 'no, man. We're in Hillcrest, I'm gay,' and that was when he pushed me down the stairs."

Neighbors discovered Millerd an hour later. The fall fractured his ribs and shattered bones in his arm, shoulder blade and pelvis. There are also mental scars and this emotion: "[I'm] angry because it's in my own neighborhood. If they're uncomfortable with gays in a neighborhood that's predominantly gay, that makes me upset," he said.

Millerd is also upset because the man remains on the loose. "[He's] Heartless, unconcerning, uncaring," Millerd said. "He could push me down the stairs and walk away."

The person Millerd claims is responsible for his injuries is described as:

A white or Hispanic male

35-40 years old

5 feet 7 inches

200-220 pounds

Brown hair and eyes

Clean-shaven

A final decision is yet to be made on whether this case will be charged as a hate crime.

The 10News I-Team recently uncovered a few more details about investigations into possible hate crimes.

Reported hate crimes in San Diego County dropped from 235 in the year 2000, to 124 last year. Experts say it's tougher to prosecute hate crimes, so many may go unreported or are prosecuted as lesser crimes.

A general fund has been set up . To contribute, mail a check payable to "C/O Joshua R Millerd Fund" to:

California Coast Credit Union
C/O Joshua R Millerd Fund
PO Box 50280
San Diego, CA
92150-2080