Florida mayor says she ‘did not resist’ arrest over alleged probation violation from DUI case

A Florida mayor who was taken into custody Monday for allegedly violating her probation from an earlier DUI case said she “did not resist” when she surrendered to authorities.

Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann was arrested by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant issued for an alleged probation violation.

In February, she pleaded no contest to one count of DUI with a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 or higher from an Aug. 28, 2024, arrest.

Her probation sentence included a promise not to consume alcohol and a requirement that she be subject to random screenings. In a statement Thursday on Facebook, Heitmann said she was screened March 26.

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“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.

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“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.

Fox News has reached out to the city government and Verderamo for comment.

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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.