Cranston Man Charged With Stabbing At Park Avenue Apartment Complex: Cops

The stabbed man "had a prior relationship" with his attacker, police said.

By Joseph Hosey, Patch Staff

Nov 13, 2026 11:20 AM EST

David Mendez (Courtesy of the Cranston Police Department)

CRANSTON, RI — A Cranston man was arrested and charged with Saturday's brutal stabbing at a Park Avenue apartment complex, police said.

David Mendez, 55, was "taken into custody without incident" about 9:30 a.m. Thursday in a garage at a residence in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the Cranston Police Department said in a media release.

The stabbed man and Mendez "had a prior relationship," the release said.

"Detectives continue to investigate the exact nature of that relationship and the circumstances that led to the violent attack," according to the release.

Officers found the stabbed 46-year-old man sitting in a black Maserati parked in the lot of an apartment complex on Park Avenue west of Dyer Avenue shortly after receiving a 12:39 p.m. Saturday 911 call, police said in a media release.

"Officers immediately rendered medical assistance until Cranston Fire Department personnel arrived and transported the victim to Rhode Island Hospital," the release said.

The man was taken to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence where he was listed in critical condition, according to police, but has since been upgraded to stable.

Police believe the stabbed man was attacked about 10 minutes prior to the 911 call, the release said.

Mendez was tracked down through a witness' description of his vehicle and detectives utilizing the department's Flock Automated License Plate Reader system, the release said.

"The role that technology played in this investigation, combined with the outstanding investigative work of our detectives and the tenacious efforts of our law enforcement partners in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, cannot be overstated," Cranston police Col. Michael J. Winquist said in the release.

"Within minutes of this violent attack, our detectives were able to utilize a witness's description of the suspect vehicle and our Flock ALPR system to identify a vehicle of interest and develop a viable suspect," Winquist said. "That initial investigative work set in motion a coordinated effort that ultimately resulted in this arrest."