More than 100 people attended a candlelight prayer vigil Wednesday for a 33-year-old West Hollywood man who was critically wounded by a bat-wielding attacker in an assault being investigated as a hate crime, officials said.

Treve Broudy, a 33-year-old actor, was struck in the back of the head, kicked and punched as he and a friend walked in the 8900 block of Cynthia Street near San Vicente Boulevard.

Broudy was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was listed in critical but stable condition after undergoing surgery to stop bleeding around the brain. He has been unconscious since the attack.

Edward Lett, 22, of Los Angeles was treated for minor injuries.

"We are treating this as a high priority, not only as an assault but as a hate crime," said Capt. Lynda R. Castro, of the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station. "This involves two gay men in a city with a significant gay population. Any attack like this is horrific. You have to treat it as an ugly incident."

The incident occurred about 12:20 a.m. Monday as the two friends said goodbye after having dinner, she said. As they embraced, a car pulled up with three men inside. Two men jumped out--one with what was believed to be a baseball bat. Words were exchanged and the men were attacked, she said.

The assailant smashed two windows on Letts' car and struck him on the arm as he managed to speed off, Castro said. Two witnesses driving by saw Broudy punched and kicked. They flashed their lights and the attackers fled, she said. The witnesses called 911.

Investigators plan to release a sketch of the suspects today.

More than a dozen detectives and deputy sheriffs have been canvassing the West Hollywood community for witnesses. News of the beating spread quickly through the community, where hate crime incidents such as inflammatory e-mails and graffiti are regularly reported to officials. The city recently dedicated a small park in memory of hate-crime victim Matthew Shepard, who was killed in 1998 in Wyoming.

At Wednesday's vigil, friends, city officials and neighbors gathered to celebrate Broudy's life and to bring attention to the attack.

They talked about his career as an actor and his love for hiking and travel.

"He is a beautiful spirit," said Roberta Farkas, a friend. "He had a wonderful voice. He loves to sing. He should be on Broadway."

His mother, Joy Verner, of Little River, Calif., urged the gathering to pray for her son.

"He is the least violent person you would ever come across," she said.

His father, Sherrill Broudy, of Santa Barbara, also was at the vigil.

"He just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time," he said. "I just hope they catch whoever did it, not just so they can be punished but to make sure they don't do something like this again."