Merced woman jailed for alleged machete attack on relative

A Merced woman who allegedly used a machete to attack her brother-in-law as he slept was being held Thursday in the John Latoracca Correctional Center on suspicion of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

Police were called for assistance as paramedics attended to a wounded man in an alley on the 300 block of West 12th Street. The man, who had serious injuries to his hands and arms, was under the influence of alcohol.

The victim told police he was sleeping Wednesday and said he awoke to find his sister-in-law, 27-year-old Marcella Elizabeth Martinez Gonzalez, hitting him with a machete. He put his arms up in defense as Martinez Gonzalez continued to hit him, police said. The victim’s arms were seriously injured, and he was flown to a Modesto hospital for treatment.

By the time police arrived, Martinez Gonzalez was not at the scene. They found her later Wednesday afternoon near the Merced County Mental Health Facility, and she was booked into jail and held on $530,000 bond.

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Merced woman jailed for alleged machete attack on relative."