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Danielle Bertothy, 36, of St. Peters, Missouri, was arrested on
arson charges and is scheduled to appear before a court in her
home state on Friday, according to the U.S. Department of
Justice.
“This defendant will be held accountable for her dangerous
actions that caused significant damage and put many lives at
risk,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District
of Puerto Rico.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Bertothy had an attorney.
The Jan. 2 blaze angered many in the U.S. territory, with
authorities noting that the fire destroyed a bar, a hotel, a
restaurant and a retail store in the coastal town of Cabo Rojo,
a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.
Ángel Luis Marrero Negrón, who owns the property that was
burned, started crying when he heard over the phone that
Bertothy was indicted.
“People cannot come here to do as they wish and denigrate our
work,” he said.
Negrón criticized Puerto Rico police, saying they were called
twice because Bertothy was accused of harassing and swearing at
customers before officials said she set fire to the businesses.
Police did not do their job, he said, adding that the suspect
left Puerto Rico shortly afterward. At least one officer has
been suspended as part of an ongoing investigation into the
incident. Federal authorities then launched their own
investigation in the U.S. mainland as people in Puerto Rico
shared photographs and video online of Bertothy, demanding her
arrest.
Negrón estimated that the fire caused half a million dollars in
damage to his property, and that despite the cost, he hopes to
rebuild. He also noted that many people were left without jobs,
and that Luichy’s Seaside Hotel in Combate Beach was nearly full
when the fire began, with 31 guests staying there.
If convicted, Bertothy could face between 5 and 20 years in
prison.
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