A Springfield man who attacked his girlfriend with a hatchet while camping in the Shenandoah National Park was convicted by a federal jury in Harrisonburg on Thursday.
Soufiane Bougria, 31, and his then-girlfriend were camping at the Mathews Arm campground in the SNP on Aug. 24, 2025, when the alcohol-fueled fight broke out.
Three witnesses called 911 after they heard screaming and crying. One of the witnesses said they saw Bougria physically grab the victim.
According to court records, witnesses described hearing a male voice say, “I don’t care, I’ll do the max sentence.”
After the calls to police, National Park Service rangers responded to the area where they encountered two of the witnesses at a nearby overlook. A car matching the description of the defendant’s vehicle drove past the overlook, and officers pursued the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop.
Bougria was in the driver seat shirtless, barefoot, and he smelled of alcohol, according to rangers.
The victim was in the passenger seat crying and holding a piece of clothing around her arm in an effort to stop the bleeding from a laceration to her right arm and wrist.
The windshield of the car was shattered, and the hood and windshield had large, dirty footprints on them.
Bougria initially told the rangers that the victim’s arm was accidentally cut with an axe.
Due to the seriousness of her injuries, the victim was transported to Winchester Medical Center where she underwent emergency surgery.
Rangers returned to the campsite early the next morning and found a hatchet with blood on the handle and blood splattered throughout the campsite.
Online court records for Virginia show that Bougria had not faced serious charges previously. The court records show a handful of traffic charges in Fairfax County.
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Crystal Graham
