Man charged after Providence toddler and mother are stabbed

Nelson Blanco was arrested and charged after a toddler and her mother were stabbed in Providence, Rhode Island, police said. The 2-year-old girl remained in critical condition in the latest reports, while her mother was treated and released. The attack happened Wednesday, October 7, near Broad and Public streets as the mother waited with her daughter in a stroller for her other children to return from school. Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said Blanco approached the pair, insulted the mother and attacked after she tried to move away. Police said the victims did not know Blanco and investigators had no confirmed motive. Bystanders intervened, and Blanco fled, according to police. Officers found him in the basement of a nearby home and arrested him. Police said he admitted stabbing the mother and child during questioning. The specific sequence of events and statements attributed to Blanco were reported by authorities; the supplied accounts do not establish a motive. Blanco faces several charges, including two counts of assault with intent to commit murder, as well as weapons offenses and breaking and entering.