A Reading woman is in Berks County Prison after police said she attacked a man with a machete over the weekend, causing severe cuts to his hands after the victim intervened to stop her from damaging his brother’s car.

Amanda Alvarez-Jackson, 24, of the 300 block of Washington Street was jailed in lieu of $25,000 bail to await a hearing following arraignment Saturday before District Judge Tonya A. Butler in Reading Central Court.

Alvarez-Jackson faces charges of aggravated and simple assault, and reckless endangerment.

According to the arrest documents:

Police were dispatched to Fourth and Washington street about 2 a.m. Saturday. The caller reported that a woman had swung a machete at a man and nearly severed one of his hands.

Officers found the victim on the sidewalk in the 300 block of Washington with severe lacerations to both hands, resulting in a large amount of blood loss.

Officers applied a tourniquet to his left arm, which suffered the worst injury. He was then rushed by ambulance to the Reading Hospital trauma center.

Officers spoke to a relative of Alvarez-Jackson’s who witnessed the incident. She said Alvarez-Jackson was extremely intoxicated and complaining that the car belonging to the victim’s brother was parked on the sidewalk.

She started banging on the car. The witness tried to intervene but was pushed away, so she dialed 911.

While on the phone, she saw Alvarez-Jackson swinging a machete at the victim, who was backing up to avoid being struck.

Police spoke to the victim in a trauma bay. He said Alvarez-Jackson was trying to break his brother’s car. He intervened and pushed her away from the car.

That’s when she grabbed a machete and attacked him. The blade struck both of his hands, causing deep cuts that exposed tendons and bone.