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Updated: May 11, 2023
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A 2-year-old girl is fighting for her life after she and her mother were stabbed in what police describe as a completely random attack at a school bus stop. Authorities say Nelson Blanco, 46, attacked the pair Wednesday afternoon as they waited for the child’s siblings to get off the bus. The assault was caught on surveillance cameras, according to Providence Police.
The toddler was rushed to a hospital in critical condition and remained in intensive care Thursday evening. Providence Police Col. Oscar Perez said the child is still “fighting for her life.” Her mother, identified by friends as Amaalia Javier, was treated and released and has been keeping watch at her daughter’s bedside.
Jessie Palmer, a certified nursing assistant, was parked nearby with her own child when she heard screams. She said she saw Blanco attacking the mother and the toddler, and that the suspect went after the little girl first. When the mother tried to shield her baby, Palmer said, Blanco pushed her aside, stabbed her, and then turned back to the toddler.
“He pushed her out of the way because she tried to shield the baby with her body, and he pushed her out of the way and stabbed her and then went back to the baby,” Palmer said.
Palmer and other bystanders intervened, and the suspect ran off. Some people chased after him while Palmer focused on the injured 2-year-old.
“I helped the baby out of the carriage, and when I saw she was bleeding, I put her to the floor and was putting pressure,” Palmer said. “Another lady came and helped me apply the pressure, and then the baby stopped breathing. So, we had to stop performing CPR and breathing for the baby until the ambulance came.”
Her quick actions likely kept the child alive before paramedics arrived, though police have not commented on the effectiveness of the rescue effort.
Blanco was arrested shortly after the incident and arraigned Thursday in Providence District Court on several charges, including felony assault with a dangerous weapon. Police said Blanco admitted to the stabbings and acknowledged that he did not know the victims.
Investigators have said there was no known connection between Blanco and the family, and they believe the attack was unprovoked. No motive has been released.
“That man’s evil and what he did was wrong, and I don’t even think jail’s enough punishment for him,” Palmer said.
Court records show Blanco’s criminal history stretches back decades. In 2003, he was charged with stabbing two 7-year-old children. The old records do not make clear how that case was resolved, and court officials have not responded to requests for additional detail.
The new case has renewed questions about how someone with a violent past, including crimes involving young children, was in the community. Advocates said the attack should push officials to review how prior charges and convictions are weighed in pretrial release decisions.
The attack took place in a residential part of the city while children were coming home from school. Parents who regularly wait at the same bus stop said the violence has left them worried and uncertain.
Several neighbors have begun organizing a small vigil for the toddler, and family friends have asked for privacy while the child receives treatment. The mother has asked people not to share images of the family or the scene, according to friends who spoke with reporters.
Blanco remains in custody while the case moves through the court system. The Providence Police Department is still investigating and has asked anyone with additional video or information to come forward.
No new update on the toddler’s condition had been released by Friday morning. Officials have not named the child publicly, and the family has requested quiet rather than interviews.
This is a developing story. Authorities are expected to provide more details as the court case continues.
