Cass County Jail
The victim, who survived the attack, told police he was assaulted without warning while the couple was staying with another man in a detached garage.
A woman in Fargo, North Dakota is facing attempted murder and aggravated assault charges after her boyfriend survived an alleged hatchet attack in the early hours of September 5.
The victim, Jonathan Granados, purportedly contacted police, according to KVLY Valley News Live, at around 5:30 a.m. with a claim that he'd been attacked without warning by his girlfriend, Lena Deoliveira, 23, wielding the deadly weapon.
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View StoryThe couple, who appear to have been homeless, had been staying in a detached garage with another individual, who later told police he was awakened by the victim's screams and witnessed part of the alleged assault, according to Law&Crime.
The witness told police he "looked and saw Lena swing down with the hatchet." While he said he was unable to see the point of impact from where he was, the man said he "heard it sound like splitting wood, initially thinking she hit the headrest or headboard," per charging documents reviewed by The Forum of Fargo-Moorehead.
Deoliveira was described as homeless by the witness, who said she often stayed in the garage or slept on couches or the floor of other homes in the neighborhood. He said she appeared "out of it" during the incident, but came to after hearing the click from the couch's footrest and seeing the blood, per KVLY's reporting.
While he wasn't certain, the witness told police he believed there were two strikes with the hatchet, as he told them that when he approached the victim, "it looked like one or two of Johnny's fingers were missing or 'kind of hanging.'" He also told police he "saw blood and a mark through Johnny's skull."
Police detailed finding a blood trail coming from the garage where the alleged attack took place. The victim was transported to the hospital for his injuries, which the report details as including severe lacerations on his hands and head.
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View StoryHe had to have emergency surgery on his fingers, per KVLY, while police were reportedly shown pictures of his head with "a large slice" in it.
Two days after the attack, Deoliveira, who had initially fled, was picked up and arrested without incident in the neighboring town of Moorhead, Minnesota. She reportedly requested an attorney when investigators attempted to interview her, according to the police report, and so there is no statement from her.
After she was extradited back to North Dakota, Deoliveira made her first court appearance on Friday, where she was formally charged. She is being held on a $500,000 bond and is next scheduled to appear in Cass County on October 16.
