A mother and her 2-year-old daughter were stabbed in South Providence on Wednesday afternoon, and police say a suspect was taken into custody a short time later near the scene. Officers converged on the area of Broad and Public streets after the attack, and investigators are still piecing together what led up to it.
According to the Boston Globe, the stabbing happened on Broad Street near Public Street in South Providence shortly before 2 p.m. Other outlets placed the timing earlier: NewsNation reported officers responded around 1:20 p.m., while WCVB put the stabbing at around 1:30 p.m. The discrepancy in the exact timing has not been resolved in public reporting.
Police said officers quickly got a description of the suspect and located a person nearby who was then taken into custody, the same NewsNation report states. As of Wednesday evening, the person had been identified as Nelson Blanco, according to the Globe. Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said there was no evidence at that point that the suspect knew the victims, per the station's report.
Conflicting Accounts of the Child's Condition
Reports differed on how badly the toddler was hurt. The Globe described the 2-year-old as “seriously” hurt, while the Providence Journal reported the child was in critical condition at Hasbro Children's Hospital. The Journal also reported that the mother was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and was at Hasbro with her daughter.
Both the mother and her daughter were transported to a nearby hospital following the attack, per Boston 25 News, which reported the woman suffered stab wounds and is in her late 20s. The outlet's report noted that police had not shared further details on the victims' conditions at the time.
Bystanders Nearby Were Unharmed
The Globe reported that other children were around during the attack but were not hurt. The circumstances surrounding the stabbing remained under investigation Wednesday evening, NewsNation reported, and police have not said what, if anything, prompted the attack.
Authorities have not released further details on a possible motive, and the suspect was identified as Nelson Blanco. Police continue to investigate the incident in South Providence.
