Local
Providence cemetery groundskeeper says attackers were searching for a woman before slashing two workers
Two workers at Grace Church Cemetery were injured Sunday after a group confronted them with a box cutter, according to groundskeeper Rufus Moore. Both were treated at Rhode Island Hospital and released; Providence police are investigating.
Two workers at Grace Church Cemetery in Providence were injured Sunday after a group confronted them with a box cutter, according to one of the men and police.
Rufus Moore, a cemetery groundskeeper, said he and his roommate — who also works at the cemetery and lives on the grounds — were attacked at the property near Broad Street and Elmwood Avenue on Oct. 18. Moore said two people jumped the fence while two others arrived in a vehicle.
The group asked about a woman, Moore said. He and his roommate did not know who the person was, he said, and Moore believes the attackers mistook him for someone else.
Moore said one person struck him in the face with a box cutter, leaving a cut on his chin. He said his roommate was also hit in the face before the group left.
Both men were taken to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment and released late Sunday night. Providence police confirmed they are investigating. No arrests or suspect information was included in the available details.
Moore said the attack has unsettled cemetery staff, who he said are now worried about their safety at work. The assault occurred about two weeks after a mother and her young daughter were stabbed on Broad Street in a separate incident that police described as random. Police have not said the cases are connected.
Anyone with information about the cemetery attack is asked to contact Providence police.