ORANGE — A 61-year-old woman was stabbed in the head by a 31-year-old local man, Matthew Hansen, who has been charged with attempting to commit murder, according to the Orange Police Department. 

Hansen, whose last known address is on Daniel Shays Highway, was staying at his mother’s trailer home on East River Street Monday night when he got off the couch, went into the kitchen, picked up a knife and stabbed his mother’s friend in the head, Orange Police Chief Craig Lundgren alleged Wednesday. 

Hansen then headed toward another mobile home when Orange police, along with K9 Orka, came looking for him, Lundgren said. With the help of the police dog, Orange Police Officer Chris Bisceglia and state troopers found Hansen, who then fled on foot. 

A “violent struggle ensued” before Hansen was brought into custody within an hour of the original report, according to an Orange Police Department press release.

“The officers did an incredible job when confronted with a dangerous situation,” Lundgren said. This is not a typical situation for his department to have to handle, he said, adding, “This is unusual when it takes three shots of a taser, and a dog and three officers to contain one combative suspect.”

Bisceglia received medical treatment for minor injuries but returned to work the next day. 

The woman who was stabbed received several stitches at Athol Hospital, but is at home and in stable condition, Lundgren said. 

“We are all very grateful she is recovering and she’s going to be OK,” he said. 

Hansen is expected to be arraigned Friday in Orange District Court on the following charges: attempt to commit murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest and mistreatment or interfering with a police dog. 

He was already scheduled to appear in court Friday for a pretrial conference regarding charges of drunken driving, second offense; driving under the influence of drugs, second offense; possessing heroin, subsequent offense; negligent operation of a motor vehicle; and marked lanes violation. He pleaded innocent to those charges March 2 and had been released on personal recognizance. 

After his Monday arrest, Hansen was brought to Athol Hospital before being taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester for treatment of bite wounds, Orange police said. 

He is being held in lieu of $15,000 cash bail, police said.

Lundgren thanked the help of State Police crime scene services, which assisted the Orange Police Department all evening. The call originally came in at 8:36 p.m. and by 9:19 p.m. Hansen was in custody. 

Police do not have a motive for what prompted the attack. 

You can reach Joshua Solomon at: jsolomon@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 264.