Police believe a domestic carving knife is linked to the stabbing of a 24-year-old man in a Napier suburb on Sunday.
The knife was found by a woman in her driveway near where the attack occurred.
"This
is a very positive step forward in the investigation and demonstrates
the continued assistance police are receiving from a large number of
residents in the area," police said in a statement.
The woman heard shouting when the man was attacked in the suburb of Marewa at 2am, the Dominion Post newspaper reported.
The man and his 22-year-old friend were walking home when a group of men attacked them, police said.
The
24-year-old was stabbed, damaging his bowel and stomach. He also has
broken ribs and injuries to his head and face after being punched and
kicked.
He was in a stable condition in the intensive care unit of Hawke's Bay Hospital on Monday.
Police are looking for three male Maori, one about 184cm tall, one 176cm and one 170cm tall.
NZN