'Chilling grin': North Dakota woman allegedly attacks sleeping boyfriend with hatchet; smiles during arrest

A North Dakota woman is facing serious charges after allegedly striking her sleeping boyfriend in the head with a hatchet and reportedly smiling broadly when police arrested her, authorities said.

Brutal attack in garage

Lena Deoliveira , 23, allegedly attacked her boyfriend, Jonathan Granados , around 5 am on September 5 while the couple was staying in a garage, according to court documents cited by InForum. Granados was rushed to the emergency room with severe injuries, including a large slice to his head and severely lacerated fingers.

Another man staying in the garage told police he woke up to screams and saw Deoliveira striking Granados. "It sounded like splitting wood," the witness said, and he suspected there were multiple strikes. When he approached, he noticed Granados's fingers appeared to be partially severed.



Fleeing the scene

After the attack, Deoliveira fled the garage. Officers later discovered a trail of blood leading from the scene. The witness told investigators that Deoliveira often couch-surfed and appeared "out of it" during the attack.

Arrest and booking

Deoliveira was arrested on September 7 in Moorhead without incident, the Fargo police department said in a Facebook post. Her mugshot showed her grinning widely as she was booked on charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault.

She is currently being held on a $500,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Cass County court on October 16, according to court records.