JUST who brutally stabbed a Wodonga man in a city park this week is an open secret among many Border people.

That’s the belief of police working to identify the five men behind the premeditated ambush.

Sgt Graeme Simpfendorfer said police were working to verify witnesses’ versions of the events in Les Stone Park on Tuesday night.

“We believe there’s a lot of people in the community who know what’s going on or know what’s happened,” he said.

“We’d encourage them to give that information to police rather than talking about it among themselves.”

A Wodonga man, 28, suffered three stab wounds to his lower back, and bruising, after being attacked at 7.30pm.

The man had been talking to a woman, 18, when five young men approached him and pushed him to the ground.

He was then kicked, punched and stabbed.

After the hoodie-wearing hoodlums fled, the man staggered to the nearby house of a second woman he knew. She took him to Wodonga hospital.

Sgt Simpfendorfer said the victim had been released from hospital.

“He’s still in a great deal of pain and he’s been assisting us with our inquiries,” he said.

Police interviewed the young woman who met the victim in the park on Tuesday night.

Wangaratta forensic police examined the woman’s silver Mazda sedan on Wednesday.

Sgt Simpfendorfer said the car could still provide clues to solving the crime, which police have described as deplorable.

“That’s the car we still believe has some involvement or some link to it,” he said.

“If people saw that on the night, we’d like to hear from them.”

Sgt Simpfendorfer said while the ages of the attackers were unknown, police believed they probably were aged from their late teens to late 20s.

“They’re certainly not older than that,” he said.

Sgt Simpfendorfer said the nature of the crime was shocking.

“Any stabbing — whether it be one or multiple stabs — is serious and can result in death or, as in this case, serious injury,” he said.

“The assailants are looking at serious charges and, hopefully when we catch up with them, we’ll put them before the courts.”

Anyone with information can phone Wodonga Police on (02) 6049 2600 or Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.