El Combate residents urge action against Missouri woman suspected of arson

By The Star Staff

Residents and business owners in Cabo Rojo’s El Combate tourist sector have urged law enforcement to apprehend a female tourist suspected of arson attacks on several local establishments.

The woman, identified as Danielle Bertothy, from Missouri, has allegedly left the island, prompting demands for action from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau and the Attorney General’s Office of the Mayagüez Judicial District.

Security footage from a restaurant captured Bertothy arguing with other patrons and assaulting a waitress. The El Combate businesses impacted by the fires include Marinera, Bar Marea and Artesanía Juavia.

In a statement, locals expressed their disappointment that Bertothy had not been arrested despite multiple interventions by the Cabo Rojo Municipal Police. They claimed that this allowed her to return and set fire to Bar Marea and several other structures. Witnesses reported that she then went to sleep at her accommodation and disappeared the next day, leaving no one to bear responsibility for the damages.

Community members took to social media to identify Bertothy, discovering she works for an event coordination agency. Prior to the arson incidents, Bertothy reportedly entered a restaurant, ordered alcoholic drinks, and proceeded to argue with both diners and staff. When asked to leave, she became increasingly aggressive and assaulted an employee, leading to the involvement of the Municipal Police.

However, instead of arresting her for the offense, officers merely escorted Bertothy to her accommodation, without addressing the harm she had caused at the restaurant.

U.S. media outlets have reported that Bertothy has since been suspended from her job.