Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann Arrested for DUI After Following Couple Home and Crashing into Their Property

Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann was arrested last week after a bizarre incident in which she allegedly followed a couple home while intoxicated, crashed into their mailbox, and parked on their lawn, according to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. The incident, which occurred on the night of August 28, has drawn widespread attention to the medium-sized city located along Florida’s Gulf Coast.

According to authorities, the couple contacted 911 after noticing a silver vehicle following them home to their residence at the corner of 16th Avenue and 3rd Street. Initially, the driver was a complete stranger to them. However, the situation took an unexpected turn when the woman identified herself as Teresa Heitmann, the mayor of Naples.

In the 911 call, the man can be heard telling the dispatcher, “Yeah, umm, I think the mayor is drunk and she just, she just literally — oh, she just drove over our mailbox.” The dispatcher, seemingly surprised, asked for clarification: “The mayor did?”

When law enforcement officers arrived at the scene, they approached Heitmann, who reportedly attempted to distance herself from her official title. “I am Teresa Heitmann right now. I am not the mayor,” she told officers, according to footage obtained by local news outlets.

Despite her initial denials, officers noted that the mayor was slurring her words, leading to her arrest on one count of driving under the influence (DUI) with an unlawful blood alcohol level of 0.15 or higher. Heitmann was taken into custody but has not yet commented publicly on the charges. The incident has left residents of Naples and the broader Naples-Marco Island metro area shocked and awaiting further developments.