Gainesville woman charged with intentionally backing her car into elderly victim’s vehicle

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Lekesha Marshuan Grant, 45, was arrested yesterday for aggravated battery on a person over 65 after allegedly intentionally hitting his vehicle with her car.

At about 11:18 a.m. on November 15, 2025, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy was at Copeland Park (7020 NE 27th Avenue) on an unrelated call when she was flagged down by a witness who said he saw a woman rear-end another vehicle and then speed away in a white Mazda SUV. While the deputy was trying to locate the white Mazda, she was contacted by the victim, a 71-year-old man who identified the driver of the white Mazda as Grant.

The victim said he had been arguing with Grant and had gone out, but she found him at Copeland Park, got out of her car, and started arguing with him; he said she hit him multiple times in the face with her cell phone, screamed at him, then got back into her car and backed into his vehicle while he was sitting in the vehicle.

The deputy and Gainesville Police Department officers tried to find Grant at her residence, but they could not find her. However, Grant called the victim and then asked to speak to the deputy; she reportedly told the deputy that she did not hit the victim with her cell phone, but then she said she tried to hit him, but she was too short. She reportedly refused to tell the deputy where she was and then said she did not hit the victim’s vehicle; she later said she knew she had hit the victim’s vehicle and that she had damage to her taillight. Grant reportedly told the deputy she would not voluntarily return to speak with the deputy and was not going to jail.

The deputy filed a sworn complaint charging Grant with battery on a victim over 65, aggravated battery on a victim over 65, and misdemeanor property damage. A warrant for her arrest was issued on December 22, and Judge Denise Ferrero set bail at $27,000; she was arrested on January 5. Grant’s full criminal history is unavailable, but she has at least five convictions on battery or assault charges, along with at least 11 dropped battery or assault charges dating back to 1998.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.