By WPRO News

An eight-year old boy was recovering in stable condition Wednesday after being stabbed last night at his family’s home, his uncle charged with stabbing him and two other family members who tried to intervene.

“It was a horrific, shocking incident that actually shake all of us, it was unfortunate,” said Providence Police Chief Colonel Oscar Perez.

The boy’s 22-year old uncle, Victor Espinal was ordered to undergo a competency evaluation and issued a no-contact order involving the boy, Espinal’s 50-year old father and the father’s 73-year old mother-in-law who both tried to protect the boy, said Providence Police Major David Lapatin.

The father of the suspect, “eventually got the knife away from him. I think he threw it under a table or a counter, out of his grasp and then waited for us to arrive,” said Lapatin. He didn’t know what sparked the confrontation on Tuesday night at the family’s home on Reynolds Avenue.

“It’s early into the investigation, it could have been some mental health issues or something that was drug-ignited, we don’t know yet.”

Lapatin said the boy was in stable condition following surgery, and the the suspect’s father and the father’s mother-in-law were recovering from “lacerations that were pretty serious, but they are both recovering,” he said.

Espinal was charged with assault and battery, domestic violence and resisting arrest. No pleas were entered, bond was set at $100,000 with surety and a status conference was set for May 10.