AUBURN – Police late Tuesday were trying to unravel an assault case involving a handgun, two knives and a pickup truck with illegal plates.

The investigation began after a man was assaulted about 10:30 p.m. in an apartment at 184 Main St.

A knife was used in the attack, but it remained unknown if he had been stabbed, police said. The man, believed to be in his 20s, was taken to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, where he was being examined.

“He has several wounds, but right now, we don’t know the extent of them,” said police Lt. Rick Coron.

Shortly after police arrived at the scene, an officer found a knife in Festival Plaza, a short distance from the apartment house where the assault occurred. Not long after, a second knife was found. One was a steak knife, police said. The other was a folding knife found a short distance away.

Meanwhile, police in both Lewiston and Auburn began looking for two suspects, a white man and a black man, believed to have fled the apartment. One of the suspects was said to be carrying a .45-caliber Glock handgun.

Officers also began to examine a white GMC pickup truck parked in an alley near the scene while others fanned out to look for the suspects.

At the Midnight Blues club down the road, two men who rushed into the bar were quickly asked to leave by club employees. That pair was then seen running toward the Hilton Plaza across Court Street.

Police who went to the Hilton found two men in the lobby. Investigators said they believed the pair was involved in the incident at 184 Main St., although the man responsible for the assault was not found.

One of the men at the Hilton was the owner of the pickup truck found in the alley, police said. That man told investigators someone else had been using his vehicle. A check of the registration showed that the truck had illegally attached plates on it.

The two men at the Hilton volunteered to be questioned about the assault. Police were trying to coax witnesses from the scene of the attack to help identify those two men.

No charges had been filed by early Wednesday morning. Police were checking with local cab companies, asking if anyone had called asking for a ride to the Gorham/Portland area, where one of the suspects is believed to be from.