The woman identified as Dayane Cristina Rodrigues Machado was arrested by police in the Brazilian city of Sao Goncalo - across the Guanabara Bay from Rio de Janeiro on June 7, Dailymail.co.uk reports.

Police officers arrived at the couple's house in the neighbourhood of Santa Catarina and found the victim's lifeless, naked and mutilated body inside their home.

The deceased was reportedly identified only by his first name, Andre.

A kitchen knife believed to have been used by the suspect to commit the crime was retrieved from the scene.

The suspect has been charged with murder and corpse desecration.

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Reports say before the bloody incident, the couple were together for 10 years and had been separated for two years, but continued to see each other sometimes.

It is further reported that they have an eight-year-old son and a five-year-old daughter. They also reportedly ran a pizzeria together. 

They are reported to have argued on the night of the incident after they had gone out to a snack bar.

Carla Policarpo, the suspect’s lawyer has alleged that Andre had threatened the suspect and she killed him in self-defence.

“He did not accept the end of the relationship and said that if she could not be with him, she could not be with anyone,” the lawyer claimed.

Meanwhile, the deceased’s sister, Adriana Santos debunked the claim, saying the suspect killed her brother in revenge for him cheating on her.