A Florida mayor found herself in legal trouble once again after being apprehended on Monday for reportedly breaching the terms of her probation related to a previous DUI incident. The mayor, Teresa Heitmann of Naples, made it clear that she cooperated fully with the authorities, stating that she “did not resist” when she turned herself in.
Heitmann was detained by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office following the issuance of a warrant for a supposed probation violation. This development follows her earlier legal woes from February when she entered a no-contest plea to a DUI charge. The charge stemmed from an arrest on August 28, 2024, during which her blood-alcohol level was recorded at 0.15 or higher.
As part of her probation, Heitmann was prohibited from consuming alcohol and was required to undergo random screenings. On Thursday, she took to Facebook to explain the circumstances, sharing that she underwent one such screening on March 26.
In her social media post, Heitmann expressed her dissatisfaction with the test results, stating, “The test returned a result I disputed immediately.” Her arrest on Monday ties back to these contested results, raising questions about compliance with the terms set during her earlier sentencing.
Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann was arrested on a DUI charge on Aug. 28, 2024, and was arrested Monday for an alleged probation violation stemming from her August 2024 arrest. (Naples Police Department)
“The test returned a result I disputed immediately,” she wrote.
Two subsequent screens — a urine test and a hair follicle analysis — returned negative results, Heitmann said. She noted that she “did not wait to be asked. I acted.”
Upon learning that she would be arrested, Heitmann said she attempted to voluntarily surrender to authorities on April 17 based on the earlier disputed test result. However, she said she was told “the system was not yet ready to process my surrender.”
She turned herself in Monday after her warrant became active.
Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann completes a field sobriety test in Naples, Fla. (Naples Police Department)
“I did not resist,” Heitmann wrote. “I did not hide. I showed up — because that is what I have always done. I will not shrink from this moment, and I will not allow a false story to define my character or my record of service.”
Court documents cited by the Naples Daily News alleged Heitmann tested positive for cannabinoids.
Her attorney, Derek Verderamo, argued two samples collected from Heitmann tested negative on March 26 and March 30 for illegal cannabinoids.
Heitmann was apprehended in the 500 block of 16th Avenue South in Naples. (Google Maps)
Fox News has reached out to the city government and Verderamo for comment.
Heitmann was originally arrested in August 2024, after breathalyzer tests determined that she had a blood-alcohol content of 0.155 and 0.169; the legal limit in Florida is 0.08.
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