A North Dakota woman has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault after allegedly striking her sleeping boyfriend in the head with a hatchet.
Lena Deoliveira, 23, is accused of launching the attack while staying in an attached garage in Fargo on September 5, around 5:30 a.m. The victim, Jonathan Granados, told police upon their arrival that he had been assaulted without warning and was transported to the hospital, according to InForum, the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead.
Another man at the scene, who was staying in the garage with the couple, later identified Deoliveira as the alleged assailant. He claimed Deoliveira is homeless, but she often stayed in the garage or at various homes in the neighborhood, where she would sleep on a couch or the floor.
According to that witness, there was a blood trail from the garage where they were staying.
He said he awoke to the sound of the man screaming, then saw Deoliveira behind the victim, allegedly with the hatchet.
“He looked and saw Lena swing down with the hatchet; he couldn’t see the point of the strike due to obstructions but heard it sound like splitting wood, initially thinking she hit the headrest or headboard,” court documents said, per the outlet.
Granados suffered serious injuries, including a large cut on the head and lacerations to his fingers. He underwent surgery for injuries to his fingers, and photographs in the police report show a head wound and fingers that were either missing or severely damaged.
Deoliveira was arrested without incident in Moorhead on September 7. She was booked into the Clay County Jail and was expected to be extradited to Cass County, police said on September 5.
She requested an attorney when law enforcement attempted to question her. Deoliveira made a court appearance in Cass County on Friday and is being held on a $500,000 bond. Her next court hearing is scheduled for October 16.
