A mayor of a town in Florida was arrested after reportedly following a couple to their home while driving under the influence (DUI).
On Wednesday, Aug. 28, Teresa Heitmann was arrested for driving while intoxicated after she allegedly pursued a local married couple back to their residence and parked her car on the grass outside of their home on the corner of 16th Ave. S and 3rd. St. S during the night. At around 9:51 PM, someone called the Naples Police Department and informed them of the woman’s behavior, that she claimed to be the mayor, and that she seemed intoxicated.
Officers arrived and found the mayor leaning up against her car when they approached her. They soon suspected Heitmann had been drinking and driving and asked her to take a sobriety test, to which she agreed. The entire incident was captured on a police body cam, which also recorded Heitmann telling the officers not to call her the mayor as she performed the field sobriety test. The footage shows the Naples mayor struggling to stay balanced while walking and her subsequent arrest for DUI.
The Naples mayor was booked and detained in Naples Jail Center where officers then conducted a breathalyzer, which showed blood alcohol levels between 0.155 and 0.169, more than double Florida’s legal limit.
Heitmann was alone in the car and there were no reports of a companion with her before law enforcement arrived. She was charged with a DUI, according to records from Collier County, and then released on a bond of $500 on Thursday, Aug. 29. Her attorney would not comment on the incident or her arrest.
On Wednesday, Sept. 4, Heitmann issued an official apology for her actions during a city council meeting. She said she waited until that meeting to address her arrest. Heitmann said she believes “the public deserves transparency” and that she is remorseful for her actions and the toll the situation has had on her friends, family, city staff, constituents, and the public.
Heitmann is currently serving as the Mayor of Naples for her second term and reassured her constituents that she takes the job “very seriously.” She said she will reflect on her behavior and hopes to regain the public’s trust despite calls from some for her to resign.
