Texas ? Two white teenagers severely beat and sodomized a Hispanic 16-year-old boy who they believed had tried to kiss a Hispanic 12-year-old girl at a party, authorities said.

The attackers forced the boy out of the Saturday night house party in Spring, beat him and sodomized him with a pipe, shouting anti-Hispanic epithets, said sheriff’s Lt. John Martin.

He was in critical condition Thursday, five days after the attack. A police officer said investigators believe the attack was prompted by the age gap between the beating victim and the younger girl.

Harris County prosecutor Mike Trent said the attackers also cut the victim with a knife. They then poured bleach over the boy, apparently to destroy DNA evidence, and left him for dead, authorities said.

“It’s about 50-50 whether he lives or dies at this point,” Trent said.