Authorities in Arkansas say a woman was seriously injured when a man shot her in the face with a crossbow during an incident at the suspect’s home. The alleged victim was reportedly attempting to protect her son and nephew from the attack.

According to Oxygen, 34-year-old Joseph Avellino was arrested on Tuesday and is expected to face criminal counts of battery in the first degree and three counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.

Reports indicate Janet Partain still had the arrow protruding from her face and sticking out of the back of her head as she drove herself to an area hospital.

In a statement on Wednesday, Cross County Sheriff’s Capt. Jeff Nichols said it was “an odd sight to see someone with an arrow in their face and they’re still conscious and talking to me.”

Partain was still recuperating in the hospital when she spoke to WREG to explain that she went to the suspect’s home to speak to him about allegedly stolen property.

“I told him, ‘Joseph, I don’t want you on my property no more,’ this and that,” she said. “And he was like, ‘Well, I’m going to shoot y’all.'”

According to Partain, she stepped in front of the her teen son and her nephew against the armed subject.

She said he was “pointing the arrow at them and he fired a shot at one of them,” claiming that she “pushed them out the way” and was hit in the process.

“I think I was in shock because once I got hit I said, ‘I can’t believe you almost shot that kid,'” she said.

As the gravity of the situation dawned on her, so did the pain. Partain said her face had been “throbbing” since the incident and she has been unable to close one of her eyes.

[Featured image: Joseph Avellino/Cross County Sheriff’s Office and Janet Partain/Facebook]