The Florida Man has become well known for his wild antics.
Now, this outlandish behavior is spreading to the Sunshine State’s politicians.
And a video of a Florida Mayor being arrested for a shocking reason left residents groaning.
Drunk mayor goes for a wild ride
Naples, Florida is one of the wealthy beach towns on the state’s Gulf Coast favored by retirees from the Midwest.
The city’s mayor found herself in a bad spot after a night out drinking.
Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann (R) was arrested by police for driving under the influence after she followed a couple home and ran over their mailbox.
A man and his wife called the police after someone in a sliver vehicle followed them from a popular area of downtown Naples filled with restaurants and shopping.
The driver of the silver vehicle parked it in their front lawn which prompted the couple to call 911.
“Yeah, um, I think the mayor is drunk,” the man told the 911 dispatcher. “Oh, she just drove over our mailbox.”
When asked if the woman was actually the Naples Mayor, the man did not know.
“I don’t know,” the man said. “She’s claiming to be the mayor. I don’t know who she is.”
The man said that Heitmann got out of her vehicle and seemed intoxicated.
“I am not,” Heitmann can be heard saying in the background of the call.
The police showed up to perform a field sobriety test on the Naples Mayor.
@NaplesPolice arrests Naples Florida Mayor “Teresa 2 Times”! Teresa Heitmann was arrested for DUI W/ BAC OVER .15. After following 2 people home, pulling onto their grass, hitting their mailbox, getting out of her car, and confronting them on their property.. pic.twitter.com/StZvaODcP1
— Blue POV (@BluePOV50) September 1, 2024
“You’re slurring your words a little bit here,” an officer said in the video.
“No, sir, I am not slurring my words — I have sat here calmly,” Heitmann said.
“Calmly is a loose term. I’ve heard you yelling at my officers,” the officer explained.
“I did not yell at them!” Heitmann exclaimed.
The mayor struggled to make it through a field sobriety test and was arrested.
Naples Police said that she had blood alcohol levels of 0.155 and 0.169, which is more than twice the legal limit in Florida of 0.08.
Mayor issues statement after her DUI arrest
Heitmann was released after paying a $500 bond from the Naples jail.
She made a statement to WINK News letting them know she had lawyered up.
“I apologize for making a mistake. I have an attorney and no comment at this time. I am sorry. I will reach out when I can,” Heitmann said in a text message.
Naples resident Alan Zumstein said that Heitmann, a Republican, had done a good job as this city’s mayor.
“Everybody makes bad decisions, and I wish she wouldn’t have,” Zumstein said. “I think she’s a good mayor. I think she does a lot of nice things for Naples, and it’s a very unfortunate situation.”
Naples City Manager Jay Boodheshwar told Fox News Digital that the city’s staff would not miss a beat.
“City employees were saddened to learn about last week’s incident involving the Mayor,” Boodheshwar said. “Naples community should rest assured that our City team is committed and dedicated to serving our residents. I have 100% confidence that our City employees will not let this incident affect service delivery to our community.”
Florida man behavior can even strike the politicians of the Sunshine State.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
