Rhode Island Man Jailed In Shocking School Bus Stop Stabbing Of Mother And Toddler

A Providence man is in custody after allegedly stabbing a mother and her 2-year-old child near an intersection on Wednesday afternoon.

Police arrested Nelson Blanco shortly after the incident, which occurred while the mother was waiting near a street corner for her two older children to arrive home on a school bus. The 2-year-old was sitting in a stroller when the attack took place.

According to authorities, the attack appeared to be unprovoked, and investigators have not established a motive. Police said Blanco first approached the woman, made lewd insults, and followed her across the street after she tried to walk away.

Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez detailed the sequence of events during a press briefing.

“The suspect approached the mother again and then started insulting the mother before attacking the child with a knife,” Perez said. “The mother also reported that the suspect grabbed her during the incident and that witnesses who were present at the scene intervened, after which the suspect fled the area.”

First responders arrived to find both victims suffering from severe wounds to their upper bodies and faces. The mother sustained a stab wound to her shoulder, while the toddler suffered critical injuries and remained hospitalized in life-threatening condition.

Following the assault, a witness chased the suspect as he ran toward Daboll Street. The witness alerted officers that Blanco had forced his way into a nearby residence. A woman who was inside her kitchen at the time was unhurt as the intruder rushed past her toward the cellar.

Officers forced open a locked basement door inside the home, where they located Blanco and placed him under arrest. Detectives also recovered a bloodied knife hidden inside an electrical panel box.

During questioning by detectives, Blanco admitted to stabbing both the woman and the child, police said. He faces charges including two counts of assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a deadly weapon, breaking into the dwelling of a person over the age of 60, and carrying a knife with a blade longer than 3 inches.

At an arraignment on Oct. 8, Blanco did not enter a plea and was ordered held without bail as a bail violator.

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