A man was walking down West State Street in Ithaca late Friday night when three people tried to rob and assault him.

The man told police that one of the men swung a knife at him, while the two others sprayed him with pepper spray from a water gun.

“The victim reported that the males tried to trip him repeatedly as he ran away from them,” Lt. Scott Garin said.

The man ran for several blocks until he saw an Ithaca Police car on the west end of the Commons.

People in the area led the man to a business where he was able to start decontaminating from the pepper spray.

Police were able to catch two of the suspects, who were identified as minors. Their identifying information is being withheld by police.

The adult suspect remains at large. Police are asking anyone with information to contact their department at 272-3245.