Ritzy Florida beach town politician arrested for alleged DUI: 'I think the mayor is drunk'

Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann allegedly followed a couple home on the evening of Aug 28, when they called police

Naples, Florida, police arrested Mayor Teresa Heitmann on Aug. 28 for allegedly driving under the influence.

Police initially responded to a residence in the 500 block of 16th Avenue South after receiving a call from a man and his wife saying an unknown woman in a silver vehicle had followed them from 12th Avenue South and 3rd Street South — a popular strip of restaurants and shops in downtown Naples — to their residence.

When the couple arrived at their residence, the unknown woman "stopped her vehicle on the grass in front of their home," police said in a press release.

After a "brief exhange" between the callers and the woman, she parked in their front yard, at which point the couple decided to contact police.

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The intersection of 12th Avenue South and 3rd Street South in Naples

Police initially responded to a residence in the 500 block of 16th Avenue South after receiving a call from a man and his wife saying an unknown woman in a silver vehicle was following them from 12th Avenue South and 3rd Street South to their residence. (Google Maps)

"I think the mayor is drunk and she just, she just literally—oh, she just drove over our mailbox," the caller can be heard saying in a 911 call, according to local news outlet NBC 2.

When the police arrived, they identified the woman leaning on her vehicle as Mayor Heitmann. Police-worn body camera footage obtained by NBC 2 shows Heitmann appearing to distance herself from her own title while interacting with officers.

"Mrs. Mayor, will you come on over for me right here?" an officer can be heard saying to Heitmann in the footage.

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Teresa Heitmann

Naples, Florida, police identified the unknown driver as Mayor Teresa Heitmann. (Collier County)

"No, don't call me mayor. I am Teresa Heitmann right now, I am not the mayor," she responds.

Officers believe Heitmann may have been intoxicated and asked her to complete a field sobriety test, which she agreed to. Upon completion of the test, responding officers "found probable cause to arrest Mrs. Heitmann for driving under the influence of an intoxicating substance," police said.

Authorities transported the mayor to Naples Jail Center, where she agreed to participate in a breathalyzer test to determine her blood-alcohol content. Following the breathalyzer, police determined that she had a BAC of 0.155 and 0.169, while the legal limit in Florida is 0.08.

500 block of 16th Avenue South in Naples

Mayor Teresa Heitmann was apprehended in the 500 block of 16th Avenue South in Naples, Florida. (Google Maps)

"City employees were saddened to learn about last week’s incident involving the Mayor," Naples City Manager Jay Boodheshwar told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Naples community should rest assured that our City team is committed and dedicated to serving our residents. I have 100% confidence that our City employees will not let this incident affect service delivery to our community."

Fox News Digital reached out to Heitmann's attorney, James Derek Verderamo, for comment.

Fox News Digital's Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.

Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Email tips to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on Twitter at @audpants.

Authored by Audrey Conklin via FoxNews September 3rd 2024