Man arrested after allegedly beating his own daughter with a machete after they argued about money

A social media star who nearly murdered by her own father after he beat her with a machete has said she feared she had seen her “last day”.

Bruna Tsuchiya, aged 33, posted photos of the cuts and bruises she had suffered to her back, arms and legs during the attack, which happened on Wednesday (May 29). It’s reported that her father Reinaldo Tsuchiya, age 54, attacked her at the family hotel following an argument. The local Pará Civil Police said a disagreement started over a car repair debt and child support payments for her two younger siblings.

The fitness influencer, who is has over 107,000 followers on her Instagram page @bruna_tsuchiya, told investigators that, in response to their argument, Reinaldo grabbed a machete from his office and chased her. She then locked herself in one of the hotel rooms in an attempt to escape him. Bruna also called her mum to ask her for help, but her dad managed to break down the door and started hitting her. The attack began with rocks.

Bruna, who is also a dentist, was able to flee the room and ran towards a nearby garage, but she fell and her father caught up with her and allegedly pulled her by the hair before beating her with the machete. Shortly afterwards, the police arrived on the scene and arrested Reinaldo. Bruna was taken to a local urgent care centre for emergency medical treatment, where she was given stitches on her hands.

Bruna, from Brazil, later posted about her ordeal via her Instagram Stories. She wrote: “I experienced a nightmare, the feeling that my life would suddenly end there. I was sure it would be my last day, a father who kills his own child.” She then questioned: “How would a father have the courage to do something like that? Is there a justification?”

Reinaldo, who is facing a femicide charge, told the police that his daughter went to visit him to recover profits from the hotel that were owed to her mother, who co-owns the property with him. He claims that that they argued after she refused to pay $180 (around £140) to repair her vehicle. He also alleges that his daughter became angry and grabbed the machete from him.

Police records showed that Bruna's mum, who has not been named, was granted an order of protection from Reinaldo in November 2023 after accusing him of domestic violence, as reported by Brazilian news outlet G1. Reinaldo was placed in pre-trial detention and Bruna was granted a restraining order that prohibits him from approaching her during a custody hearing, which will take place on Friday (June 7).

The order means that he is not allowed to be within 328 feet of her and also isn’t allowed to be in the same place as her. He is also banned from contacting her via telephone or electronic messages.

Bruna has received messages of support from her fans, who have posted on her previous Instagram posts following the incident. One said: “Be strong Bruna, you will conquer greater things. God is with you.” Another added: “Stay strong Bruna, this is just a phase. The good things that God has for us are coming, and just put it in the hand of God who knows the heart of each one.”