PROVIDENCE — Three men remained hospitalized in stable condition yesterday, recovering from gunshot wounds that they suffered in three unrelated incidents, one of which was an attempted robbery and another a claimed incident of road rage, according to the police.

A 17-year-old city youth has been charged in the latest shooting incident, which arose from the robbery attempt late Monday afternoon at Elmwood and Lenox avenues in the Elmwood section, according to Detective Capt. Keith Tucker, commander of the Youth Services Bureau.

Hector Alicea, 27, of 42 Academy Ave., was shot once in the chest as he and two other men sat in a sport-utility vehicle that was parked partially on a sidewalk at Elmwood and Lenox. Tucker said the 17-year-old climbed into the back seat of the SUV and attempted to rob the others.

In an ensuing struggle, Alicea was struck in the face with the robber’s handgun and shot. When officers arrived, one of the other passengers, Jeffrey Castro, 22, of 91 Paine St., Cranston, had the suspect pinned to the pavement at Elmwood. The gun, which had been taken away, was later recovered, Tucker said.

The youth, whose name the police withheld because he is a minor, was charged with three counts of assault with intent to rob, possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a minor. He is being held at the Rhode Island Training School.

Another shooting occurred between 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday, at 39 Vandewater St., in the Wanskuck neighborhood. The police identified the victim as Michael Ricci, 37, a tenant of the first-floor apartment at that address, who was shot once in the left side.

As are the other two victims, he is a patient at Rhode Island Hospital.

“We have ID’d a couple of people of interest and the investigation is continuing,” including a probing of the motive, said Detective Lt. Paul Campbell. Neighbors reported seeing two men enter the rear of the multifamily house, and Ricci was shot minutes later in the basement, he said.

Ricci’s was the second of three shootings in two days in Providence.

In the first, the victim was identified as Rodney Castillo, 19, of 104 Indiana Ave., who was driving a car at about 4 a.m. Sunday in South Providence when an SUV pulled up alongside, and four or five shots were fired from the SUV. A bullet struck Castillo in the thigh and one of his passengers drove them to the hospital.

Castillo told the police that he thought he was shot because he had angered another motorist, Campbell acknowledged yesterday. But Campbell said the motive remains under investigation.

In a fourth incident, five shots were reported fired at about 6 p.m. Monday in the vicinity of Manton Avenue and Sisson Street in Mount Pleasant. A man dressed in black was seen standing between two cars in a parking lot, firing a gun, and officers later found five shell casings in the lot.

As far as the police could tell, no person or object was hit by a bullet.

gsmith@projo.com