A man jumped out of bushes and randomly attacked a woman with a chainsaw around 7:15 a.m. Tuesday, Lantana police said.
The victim, Marie Geffrard, 64, was walking along Hypoluxo Road near Seacrest Boulevard when the suspect attacked her, according to police.
She was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries to the chest and hands but is expected to survive.
Doctors said they think they might have to amputate her hand because it was so severely severed.
Lantana police later arrested a suspect in the attack, identified as 20-year-old Juan Cabrera Jr.
"He actually made a comment that he woke up this morning, went and got something to eat. We can't confirm or deny if he's got any kind of mental illness or not. But he did make a comment to the investigator that he saw the lady in the area and he quote stated, 'I'm going to end this woman's life,'" Lantana Police Chief Sean Scheller said.
The incident occurred near the Super 8 Motel at 1200 Hypoluxo Blvd., where the suspect was staying.
Geffrard said she did not know the man and thought he was a landscaper, police said. He's facing a charge of attempted first-degree murder as well as aggravated battery on a police officer, possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana.
He was later caught on camera punching an officer inside a holding cell after he was taken into custody.
He was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail at 6:42 p.m. Tuesday. Cabrera was denied bond by a Palm Beach County judge Wednesday morning.