Updated on:
08/08/2026
Kevin Alan-Hoffman was arrested in connection with the fatal incident. (Florida Highway Patrol)
The Tesla driver accused of killing a St. Augustine scooter rider while drunk previously served as a sheriff’s deputy in Northern California, the Citizen has learned.
Kevin Alan Hoffman worked for the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office before retiring and moving to St. Augustine in 2020, according to sources and records.
Contra Costa County sits directly east of San Francisco, across the bay, and is part of the broader San Francisco Bay Area.
Former colleagues in California told the Citizen that Hoffman’s arrest has sent shockwaves through his old law enforcement community.
Hoffman was arrested this week in connection with the July 8 crash that killed real estate agent Delinda Ronette Heinrich of St. Augustine. A criminal complaint notes that he is a veteran.
The Florida Highway Patrol alleges Hoffman was driving a Tesla approximately 90 mph in a posted 45-mph zone when he struck Heinrich’s scooter from behind. Investigators said he continued driving after the collision and later crashed at the intersection of U.S. 1 and State Road 16, where the Tesla flipped.
Hoffman’s blood-alcohol concentration was .212, according to FHP — nearly three times Florida’s legal limit of .08.
Hoffman fatally struck realtor Delinda Heinrich.
Hoffman was hospitalized following the crash and later transferred to a rehabilitation facility. He was arrested at his St. Augustine home after his release, according to FHP.
He is charged with DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a crash involving death.
Hoffman was also arrested for DUI in March 2025 with a blood-alcohol level above .27. The charge was reduced to reckless driving because it was his first offense, and his probation ended five weeks before the fatal crash.
The Florida Highway Patrol’s traffic-homicide investigation remains ongoing. The charges against Hoffman are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.