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Woman smiles widely after ‘slashing her sleeping boyfriend with hatchet’

Lena Deoliveira allegedly attacked her boyfriend with a hatchet as he slept in a garage (Picture: Cass County Jail)

A woman flashed a wide smile in her mugshot after allegedly slashing her boyfriend in his sleep using a hatchet.

Lena Deoliveira, 23, is accused of trying to kill Jonathan Granados in a Fargo, North Dakota, garage that the couple were staying in.

Officers responded to reports of an aggravated assault shortly after 5.30am on September 5 and discovered Granados with ‘significant’ injuries,according to the Fargo Police Department. He was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated.

Granados’ head had a ‘large slice in it’ and his fingers were severely lacerated, stated court documents obtained by InForum. He later told investigators that the attack took him by surprise.

Witness describes north Fargo hatchet attack that led to attempted murder charges Lena Deoliveira made her first appearance in Cass County court Friday morning. Charging documents indicate she was homeless at the time of last week's incident. DEOLIVEIRA,LENA.bmp Lena DeoliveiraContributed / Cass County Jail Tasha Carvell By Tasha Carvell September 12, 2025 at 12:36 PM 5 Comments Share News Reporting FARGO ? The woman accused of using a hatchet to try to murder a man in a north Fargo garage made her first court appearance Friday morning in Cass County court. Charging documents in the case filed against 23-year-old Lena Deoliveira relied heavily on an eyewitness account of the Sept. 5 incident, during which Deoliveira's boyfriend was seriously injured. MSUM quarterback Jack Strand on his chemistry with wide receiver Brady PerrymanMSUM quarterback Jack Strand on his chemistry with wide receiver Brady Perryman Read More Fargo police officers responded to an aggravated assault at 5:39 a.m. that day near the 700 block of College Street North, where they found Jonathan Granados with significant injuries, court documents said. They found a blood trail coming from a detached garage where the incident was alleged to have taken place. Investigators later interviewed a man who was staying in the garage with Deoliveira and Granados. He told them Deoliveira was homeless, but that she frequently stayed in the garage, and at other homes in the neighborhood, where she would sleep on the couch or the floor. The man told investigators that he woke up to Granados screaming and that Deoliveira was behind Granados swinging what he believed to be a 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 the eyewitness claimed. "He believes there were two strikes because when he approached (Granados), it looked like one or two of Johnny's fingers were missing or 'kind of hanging,'" charging documents said of the witness account. "He saw blood and a mark through Johnny's skull." After striking Granados, the man told investigators, Deoliveira fled the garage. Granados later told investigators that he had been attacked without warning. His fingers were severely lacerated in the attack, court documents said, and his head had a "large slice in it." Deoliveira was arrested without incident in Moorhead on Sunday, Sept. 7, according to Fargo police. She is charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault in the case, and is being held on $500,000 bond. Her next hearing in Cass County is scheduled for Oct. 16.
Lena Deoliveira fled after allegedly attacking her boyfriend as he slept in a garage (Picture: Cass County Jail)

An unidentified man who was staying in the garage with the couple said he woke up the night of the incident to see Deoliveira swinging what looked like a hatchet, and Granado screaming.

‘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,’ state the court papers.

‘He believes there were two strikes because when he approached (Granados), it looked like one or two of Johnny’s fingers were missing or “kind of hanging”. He saw blood and a mark through Johnny’s skull.’

Fargo, North Dakota, USA - July 20, 2021: Downtown Fargo's historic district on Broadway includes the art deco Fargo Theater. Fargo is North Dakota's most populous city.
The hatchet attack happened in Fargo, North Dakota (Picture: Getty Images)

Deoliveira fled and police asked the public for help, describing her as 5-foot -7 and 130 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair.

She was arrested without incident on September 7 just east of Fargo in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Deoliveira has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault and appeared in Cass County court on Friday. She was ordered to be held on a $500,000 bond.

Witness describes north Fargo hatchet attack that led to attempted murder charges Lena Deoliveira made her first appearance in Cass County court Friday morning. Charging documents indicate she was homeless at the time of last week's incident. DEOLIVEIRA,LENA.bmp Lena DeoliveiraContributed / Cass County Jail Tasha Carvell By Tasha Carvell September 12, 2025 at 12:36 PM 5 Comments Share News Reporting FARGO ? The woman accused of using a hatchet to try to murder a man in a north Fargo garage made her first court appearance Friday morning in Cass County court. Charging documents in the case filed against 23-year-old Lena Deoliveira relied heavily on an eyewitness account of the Sept. 5 incident, during which Deoliveira's boyfriend was seriously injured. MSUM quarterback Jack Strand on his chemistry with wide receiver Brady PerrymanMSUM quarterback Jack Strand on his chemistry with wide receiver Brady Perryman Read More Fargo police officers responded to an aggravated assault at 5:39 a.m. that day near the 700 block of College Street North, where they found Jonathan Granados with significant injuries, court documents said. They found a blood trail coming from a detached garage where the incident was alleged to have taken place. Investigators later interviewed a man who was staying in the garage with Deoliveira and Granados. He told them Deoliveira was homeless, but that she frequently stayed in the garage, and at other homes in the neighborhood, where she would sleep on the couch or the floor. The man told investigators that he woke up to Granados screaming and that Deoliveira was behind Granados swinging what he believed to be a 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 the eyewitness claimed. "He believes there were two strikes because when he approached (Granados), it looked like one or two of Johnny's fingers were missing or 'kind of hanging,'" charging documents said of the witness account. "He saw blood and a mark through Johnny's skull." After striking Granados, the man told investigators, Deoliveira fled the garage. Granados later told investigators that he had been attacked without warning. His fingers were severely lacerated in the attack, court documents said, and his head had a "large slice in it." Deoliveira was arrested without incident in Moorhead on Sunday, Sept. 7, according to Fargo police. She is charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault in the case, and is being held on $500,000 bond. Her next hearing in Cass County is scheduled for Oct. 16.
Lena Deoliveira has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault (Picture: Cass County Jail)

She grinned from ear to ear and wore a bright blue shirt in her mugshot.

Her next hearing is slated for October 16.

Deoliveira was homeless and stayed at the garage and other homes in the neighborhood frequently, according to the man anonymous man who spoke to investigators.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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