PROVIDENCE, RI — Providence police say a mother and her 2-year-old child were stabbed in what investigators describe as a random attack on Broad Street while the family waited for a school bus. The suspect, 46-year-old Nelson Blanco, appeared in court Thursday morning on a set of new charges tied to the incident.
Police said there was no known connection between Blanco and the victims. The mother has been released from the hospital, while the child remains hospitalized in stable but critical condition. Providence Police Col. Oscar Perez said the toddler is “fighting for her life.”
Police say the attack happened while the family waited for another child to get off the bus
According to police, the mother and her 2-year-old were waiting Wednesday for her other two children to come home from school when Blanco approached them. Officers said the mother crossed the street after Blanco came up to her the first time, but he returned.
Perez said Blanco then insulted the mother before attacking the child with a knife. The mother also told police the suspect grabbed her during the incident. Investigators said nearby witnesses and other parents stepped in, which forced Blanco to run away.
Parents intervened before Blanco fled to a nearby house and hid in a basement
Police said one of the parents followed Blanco down the street to a nearby residence after the attack. Investigators say he broke into the basement of that home and locked himself inside.
Officers responded quickly, went into the house, and arrested him there, Perez said. The sequence of events left police describing the case as a fast-moving scene that shifted from the sidewalk to a home just a short distance away.
Blanco faces assault and burglary charges after the stabbing on Broad Street
Blanco is charged with assault with intent to commit a felony causing serious injury, felony assault with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering into the dwelling of a person over 60 years old, and possession of a knife during the commission of a crime, police said. He appeared in court Thursday morning on those charges.
Police also said he is expected back in Superior Court to face an alleged bail violation in a separate case. A hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m., when officials are expected to decide whether he will be held without bail.
Police point to a long criminal history including a 2003 stabbing case
Investigators said Blanco has an extensive criminal record, including a 2003 case in which he was charged with stabbing two 7-year-old children in Providence. Police said he has been arrested multiple times since then.
Despite that history, police said he was out of custody when Wednesday’s stabbing happened. Perez was asked Thursday whether the case raises broader questions about the criminal justice system, and he said the system is complex and officials need to work together.
The child remains in critical but stable condition as the family recovers
Police have said the mother is now out of the hospital, but the toddler remains under close medical care. Perez’s description of the child as “fighting for her life” underscored the seriousness of the injuries.
The case has also drawn attention because it happened during an ordinary school pickup moment, a time when parents and children were waiting together in a public place. Police say the attack was random, and investigators continue working through the charges and court proceedings tied to Blanco’s arrest.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
