A 46-year-old man named Nelson Blanco faces charges for attacking a mother and her toddler in Providence, Rhode Island. The young girl remains in critical condition following the Wednesday incident.
The Broad and Public Street atttack on a 2-year-old
Nelson Blanco allegedly approached a mother and her 2-year-old daughter near Broad and Public streets in Providence while the family waited for other children to exit a school bus. According to Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez, as reported by WPRI,Blanco made insulting comments before grabbing the child's stroller and striking the toddler repeatedly.
The 2-year-old girl was rushed to Hasbro Children's Hospital in critical condition. The mother, who suffered a stab wound to her shoulder, was treated and subsequently released. Police eventually located Nelson Blanco hiding in the basement of a nearby residence, where they recovered a knife from a panel box.
Blanco's claim that a 'main street' prevented more deaths
During police questioning, Nelson Blanco reportedly admitted to the stabbings, but his reasoning for stopping the attack is particularly chilling. According to a police report obtained by WPRI, Blanco told detectives that he only ceased the violence because the attack occurred on a main street.
Blanco allegedly stated, "If I was on a side street, I would have killed them. Both of them," according to the outlet. This admission suggests a calculated awareness of his surroundings and a willingness to commit homicide had the location been more secluded.
The 2003 stabbing of Andy Lopez and Dave Belony
The arrest of Nelson Blanco has reopened deep trauma for two men,Andy Lopez and Dave Belony, who were victims of a similar attack by Blanco on September 27, 2003.. At the time, Lopez and Belony were only 6 and 7 years old, playing in a backyard when Blanco emerged from a shed and attacked them with a knife.
The 2003 assault left Andy Lopez permanently blind in his left eye , an injury he says derailed his aspirations of becoming a truck driver or a police officer. Dave Belony, who was stabbed in the back and arm, reported recognizing Nelson Blanco immediately from a booking photo shared on social media following the most recent incident.
The 2006 competency ruling and July's outpatient decision
Court records reviewed by Fox News Digital reveal a long history of legal instability regarding Nelson Blanco. Between September 2004 and March 2006, the court repeatedly found that Nelson Blanco was incompetent to stand trial for the felony assault charges stemming from the 2003 attacks on Lopez and Belony.
More concerning is a recent judicial decision from July. As reported by WPRI, a judge accepted a medical recommendation allowing Nelson Blanco to remain in outpatient treatment for a separate domestic violence case. The decision was based on the assessment that Blanco was unlikely to endanger himself or the community at that time.
This raises critical questions about the criteria used to determine community risk for individuals with a documented history of targeted violence against children. It remains unclear why the 2003 attacks—which resulted in permanent disability for a child—were not given more weight in the July decision to maintain outpatient status. Furthermore, the status of the 2003 case remains listed as "under review" in the court portal, leaving a decades-old crime without a definitive resolution.
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