In the early hours of January 2, a woman from Missouri visiting Puerto Rico allegedly set fire to several businesses in the southwestern town of Cabo Rojo, burning down three of them and partially damaging the other. The incident set off widespread outrage across the island, which is currently facing a gentrification crisis due to expats relocating for tax breaks and the proliferation of short-term rentals for tourism that have displaced local residents.

The Puerto Rico Police Department identified the suspect as Danielle Bertothy, and officials say she left the island that same day. An investigation is ongoing and no arrest has been made. The businesses that fully burned down are the restaurant Marinera, Bar Marea, and Artesanías Juavia. The boutique hotel Luichy’s Seaside Hotel, which had around 50 guests on site at the time of the incident, was also partially damaged. Angel Luis Marrero, who owns Luichy’s and the building that houses all four businesses, told local news station Telemundo that he estimates repairing the damages from the fire will cost around $500,000 and jeopardize the livelihood of 15 employees.

In a Facebook post, Bar Marea said an allegedly intoxicated Bertothy came into the business near closing hours and began insulting patrons as well as workers. Bar Marea called the police and said officers walked Bertothy to a nearby Airbnb where she was staying, but the bar had to call police once again after she returned to the business. Bertothy was not detained either time, Bar Marea said in its post. After the second incident, the bar closed down. Security footage Bar Marea posted from the scene shows a person that appears to be Bertothy near the fire as it began; the person appears again later carrying a red gas can.

“I don’t understand why, if a person is aggressive, alcoholic, and disrespectful, they are [not] prosecuted. I don’t understand why she came to burn down the businesses. I don’t understand why they didn’t heed our call. The thing is that in this country you have to live in fear, letting these types of situations pass as if nothing had happened,” Bar Marea said on Facebook.

The property manager of the Airbnb where Bertothy was staying told the Latino Newsletter that she was due to stay at the short-term rental between December 30 and January 11. The manager, who asked the outlet to keep him anonymous, says Bertothy was provided a gas can and a generator after most of Puerto Rico lost power on New Year’s Eve. The island has been struggling with recurring, widespread blackouts for several years since the local government transferred management of the electric grid to a private company.

According to a now-deleted LinkedIn account, Bertothy works at an advertising and digital-marketing agency in St. Louis called HLK Agency. The agency suspended her after receiving a letter from St. Louis alderwoman Daniela Velázquez. “We were shocked to learn about the events in Puerto Rico. We have not yet been contacted by law enforcement in either Puerto Rico or Missouri but we are ready to cooperate in their investigation if asked,” the company said in a statement. “After learning about this on Friday afternoon, we chose to immediately place the employee on suspension pending further information. We are outraged by this senseless act and hope the authorities can address it in a timely fashion.”

Anyone with information about the incident can contact the Puerto Rico Police Department at 787-343-2020. The businesses will remain closed until further notice, the respective owners told local media outlet Metro. Two GoFundMe campaigns — one for Luichy’s Seaside Hotel and another for both Bar Marea and Artesanías Juavia — have been launched to help owners rebuild.

“We lost the material, but the dreams are still alive,” Bar Marea said on Facebook.

OTTO, Missouri — Put this in the file for “sheriff’s calls that are difficult to believe.”

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office came to the rescue last Friday when it received a report that a spider monkey was spotted near the intersection of two highways at about 4 p.m. That’s unusual enough, but the monkey also was wearing a pink tutu.

“After careful negotiations and some coaxing, deputies were able to get close enough to go ‘hands on’ with the subject and bring this bananas situation under control without incident,” the sheriff’s office says in a news release.

The monkey reportedly was being cared for at a nearby home and managed to open a door and escape outside, the sheriff’s office says. The monkey was returned to its caretaker.

It was good timing for the rescue. A winter storm hit the region Saturday, closing roads and sending temperatures plunging.

“In all seriousness, this is a great example of law-enforcement officers never knowing what they’ll face on any given call and having to be prepared to handle whatever the job throws at them,” the news release says.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)

For the first time, Missouri State University’s Pride Marching Band will be part of the presidential inauguration parade Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C.

It was the only band from the Show-Me State invited to participate.

This is the first presidential inauguration performance in the history of the marching band but not the university. In 2017, the MSU Chorale performed during the 58th presidential inauguration.

“We’re all very excited to represent the entire state of Missouri at this historic event,” said Brad Snow, director of bands, in a Monday news release. “We’d like to thank everyone for the overwhelming support we have received since we were notified of our participation.”

The band applied in late November, after the election, by submitting the band’s performance history, photos, video footage and letters of recommendation from Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Rep. Eric Burlison.

A contingent of 350 students and staff will represent Missouri State at the inauguration.

More: Watch MSU Chorale sing at 2017 presidential inauguration

“The Pride Marching Band has performed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Tournament of Roses Parade, the Orange Bowl Parade and at NFL games. The band also traveled to London to participate in a New Year’s Day parade,” said Shawn Wahl, dean of the Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, in the release.

“This is the first presidential inauguration performance in the band’s history. A performance like this on the national stage builds on the band’s profile and legacy as one of the largest and most engaged collegiate marching programs in the nation.”

The inauguration parade is expected to begin between 1:30 and 2 p.m. Eastern time on Jan. 20, with all inaugural events available via Amazon streaming.