Two caretakers at Trinity Cemetery on Broad Street in Providence were slashed in the face Sunday afternoon, October 18, 2026, after two suspects approached them asking about an unidentified person, according to police. The victims, a 55-year-old man and a 41-year-old man, were rushed to Rhode Island Hospital following the attack, which sent detectives scrambling to track down the attackers.
According to WJAR, Providence police responded to reports of a stabbing at the Broad Street cemetery, where two suspects approached the pair of male caretakers and asked about a person who has not been identified. One of the suspects then slashed both men in the face with a knife before the two attackers fled on foot, police told the station.
One of the victims later explained that the other man did not speak English, per the station's report. Beyond that detail, the station did not provide further information on what prompted the confrontation or how the caretakers were able to communicate with the suspects before the attack.
Detectives Still Searching For Answers
Providence police detectives are investigating the incident, but no suspect descriptions had been released publicly. The same account notes that the attackers ran from the scene on foot, leaving behind little information for investigators beyond the caretakers' accounts of being questioned before the assault.
The attack adds to a tense stretch for the city, which is still absorbing news of a separate, unrelated stabbing earlier this month. On October 7, a mother and her 2-year-old daughter were stabbed in South Providence, with the child reported in critical condition at Hasbro Children's Hospital, according to providencejournal.com.
A Separate Case Already Moving Through Court
In that South Providence case, police identified 46-year-old Nelson Blanco as the suspect and said he was scheduled to be arraigned on October 8, the outlet reported. The Providence Journal reported that Blanco faced attempted-murder charges.
No such charges or arrests have been reported in connection with the Trinity Cemetery attack, and police have not said whether the two cases are in any way connected. For now, investigators are focused on identifying the two suspects who approached the caretakers before the assault, while the victims recover from injuries that sent them to Rhode Island Hospital.
