Providence Place Mall

Man Charged With Murder in Providence Place Mall Stabbing

Ricky Hilario Cabral, 22, has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of 19-year-old Nazzique Hernandez at Rhode Island's Providence Place Mall

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A day after a teenager was stabbed to death at Rhode Island's Providence Place Mall, a man has been charged with murder.

The stabbing on the third floor in the food court area happened just after 11:30 a.m. Thursday and followed a verbal argument that turned into a physical altercation between two groups of people, according to Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements.

Four people were arrested after the stabbing. The victim, identified as 19-year-old Nazzique Hernandez of Providence, died from his injuries.

Friday, the Office of the Public Safety Commissioner in Providence announced that 22-year-old Ricky Hilario Cabral had been charged with murder.

None of the other people arrested had been identified.

Cabral was ordered held without bail at his arraignment Friday. He did not enter a plea and was referred to the public defender’s office, according to court records.

Officers chased down four men and arrested them as they were attempting to flee Thursday, according to Clements.

"People on both sides of the weapon know each other. There's familiarly between victims, suspects," he said.

Hernandez was taken to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries.

During the incident, the mall stayed open for shoppers.

"I just heard this commotion. I looked over my counter, and there was a fight that broke out," witness Dan Valdez recalled.

The death was the city's 11th homicide of the year and believed to be the first at the mall.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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