A mayor in Florida was taken into custody on Monday for allegedly violating probation related to a previous DUI incident. Teresa Heitman, the mayor of Naples, stated that she “did not resist” when she went to the authorities.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office arrested Heitman following a warrant that cited a violation of her probation terms.
Back in February, she entered a no contest plea to driving under the influence, with a blood alcohol level of 0.15 or above from an arrest on August 28, 2024.
Part of her suspended sentence included not consuming alcohol and being subject to random testing. On Facebook, she mentioned that she underwent a test on March 26.
Heitman expressed her immediate objection to the test results, claiming that two follow-up tests, including a urine and hair analysis, showed negative results.
She tried to turn herself in on April 17, knowing she’d be arrested due to some earlier disputed results. However, she was informed that “the system is not yet ready to handle my surrender.”
Finally, she turned herself in on Monday once the warrant was active.
Heitman insisted, “I did not resist. I’m not hiding. I’m here because that’s what I’ve always done.” She added that she wouldn’t let any false narratives cloud her character.
Court documents indicated that Heitman allegedly tested positive for cannabinoids. However, her attorney contended that the two samples taken later returned negative results.
Heitman’s initial arrest in August 2024 occurred after a breathalyzer test revealed blood alcohol levels of 0.155 and 0.169, while the legal limit in Florida stands at 0.08.
