Hours after police detained the Naples mayor Wednesday night — her name and mug shot under the latest Collier County arrests — the elected official serving her second term filed a written plea of not guilty, waiving her arraignment.
Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann, 61, faces one count of driving under the influence. Court records revealed Monday she waived her arraignment and claimed her innocence the same day she was released on $500 bond.
State law allows a defendant to waive their right to an arraignment hearing and submit a written plea of not guilty, if a licensed criminal defense attorney representing them.
Months after she won her second term, Heitmann, represented by defense attorney Derek Verderamo, faces one count of DUI with a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 or higher. In Florida, the legal limit is 0.08.
According to an arrest report from Naples police, officers responded to a residence in the 500 block of 16th Avenue South to a driver possibly intoxicated who claimed to be the mayor.
When a Naples police sergeant arrived, the report says, he immediately recognized Heitmann leaning on the hood of her silver Porsche, speaking with two officers, who reported they saw Heitmann driving the car.
The sergeant then spoke with the residents, who said they were driving south on Third Street South when Heitmann’s silver Porsche almost ran the stop sign and had to “slam” on the brakes.
She then told the sergeant the occupants in another car, who live at a residence, nearly hit her in a roundabout.
Heitmann told police she did not follow them.
The sergeant told Heitmann they were standing in front of other people’s home before Heitmann “rolled her eyes and asked what was going on.”
The sergeant reported he could “immediately smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage” emanating from Heitmann.
According to the sergeant, Heitmann had “glassy, watery eyes” and a “slowed, slurred speech consistent with being intoxicated.”
Both residents said the Porsche tailgated them, flashing the lights and parked on the grass by the residence.
As the resident grabbed a phone and called police, Heitmann said, “Call the police,” and, “She is the mayor, and that nothing will happen.”
Heitmann told police that she “would never tell them she was the mayor,” the report states.
When officers performed field sobriety tests, they noted Heitmann was unable to follow the movement of a pen with her eyes and continued to turn her head.
“Heitmann would stop following the pen with her eyes when she felt the exercise was over,” the report says in part.
When told she had to walk straight, taking nine heel-to-toe steps as she counted out loud, the report says, she took 13 steps on one attempt and 16 steps on the next.
Officers then had her perform a third exercise — a one-leg stand. The report says Heitmann could not hold her foot off the ground for more than six seconds and would stop the exercises when her foot touched the ground.
Heitmann completed two breath samples, which resulted in a blood-alcohol content of 0.155 and 0.169.
The Naples Daily News attempted to reach Heitmann twice for comment since her arrest, but has not received a response.
A phone call to a number registered to Heitmann indicated the mailbox was full and could not accept further messages. The Daily News left a voicemail at a second number associated with her.
Her arraignment is set for Sept. 18, although her waiver counts as her plea of not guilty under state law. She was released Thursday on $500 bond and is the second Collier County elected official arrested this year.
Heitmann, a former account executive for cosmetics firms Revlon Co. and then Lancôme, in Jacksonville, entered politics in 2008.
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Source: naplesnews
