A 2024 road rage incident involving two teenage girls has led to a guilty verdict for Jessica Luana Goncalves, a Brazilian national who now faces potential deportation following her conviction on battery charges.
The confrontation unfolded near Christ’s Church Academy in Jacksonville and was captured on video by one of the teenage victims.
The footage shows Goncalves aggressively confronting the girls, grabbing one by the sleeve, and later lunging at the person recording to snatch her phone. Both teens testified during the Thursday trial, describing the encounter as terrifying and unprovoked.
“She grabbed my phone out of my hand and pushed me,” said one of the victims. The other added, “She had put her arms out and she had touched my chest.”
Goncalves was charged with two counts of battery, but the court ultimately withheld adjudication, sentencing her to six months’ probation, mandatory anger management classes, and requiring her to write a letter of apology to the victims.
While the criminal trial has concluded, Goncalves’ legal troubles may be far from over. A spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Goncalves is in the country illegally. She was first encountered by U.S. Border Patrol in Otay Mesa, California, on May 1, 2021, and released on her own recognizance. In February 2024, after her arrest for child abuse without great bodily harm, she was flagged again by immigration officers at Duval County Jail.
ICE issued a detainer and stated that Goncalves will be taken into custody upon completion of her local sentence.
“It’s up to an immigration court to decide if she has a legal path to remain in the U.S.,” an ICE spokesperson said in a post-verdict update.
In court, defense attorney Robert Slama attempted to suggest the prosecution was motivated by immigration status. “Is it your goal for her to be deported?” he asked one of the teen victims, who replied firmly, “No.”
The case has sparked debate over how local criminal proceedings intersect with federal immigration enforcement, especially in incidents involving noncitizens and youth.
