A 53-year-old Alabama woman faces multiple charges after authorities say she drove more than two hours to meet a juvenile for sex in Santa Rosa Beach.
- Tracey Heinfeld of Leeds, Alabama, was arrested on March 29 after deputies responded to a 911 call about a juvenile drinking and smoking at a residence on Phoenix Street.
When deputies arrived, Heinfeld reportedly told them she had driven from Orange Beach to check on a teenager who was friends with her son. She claimed she was worried about the teen’s welfare and had obtained his location through Snapchat.
However, when deputies spoke with the juvenile, he expressed fear of Heinfeld, saying she was trying to have sex with him. The teen showed deputies text messages from Heinfeld’s phone that explicitly stated her intentions.
During the investigation, Heinfeld sent two pictures to the victim’s phone – one showing a Walton County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle at the scene and another of deputies in front of the house.
After deputies read Heinfeld her rights, she reportedly continued speaking with them and allowed access to her phone. Investigators discovered she had deleted text messages from her conversation with the victim, though the recovered messages matched those on the victim’s phone.
In one message, despite the juvenile begging her not to come and expressing he did not want to see her, Heinfeld allegedly wrote:
- “I’m coming to see you. I’m already halfway there, so when I get there, do you wanna go to the club? I’ll go to the pub with you. Maybe I’ll pick you up a drink and get you drunk and take advantage of you, or maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll just let you see me and then just turn around and go home.”
Heinfeld was arrested for using an electronic device to solicit a child, traveling to meet a minor for sex, cyberstalking, and tampering with evidence.
She was transported to the Walton County Jail with a $500,000 bond and remains in custody.
