Double Trouble: Social Influencer Arrested For DUI And Rare Pet

Brandi Botello is a social media influencer in Texas, and over the weekend her pet spider monkey, Jorgie Boy, was taken into custody when Brandi was arrested after an automobile accident. On Saturday morning officers responded to a single-vehicle accident, and Botello was charged with Driving While Intoxicate. She maintains that neither she, nor the monkey, were behind the wheel at the time of the accident.

In an interview with NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, Brandi Botello claimed that she wasn't driving. She acknowledged that she had in fact been drinking, but she insisted that she passed out in the passenger seat while a male acquaintance of hers drove the vehicle. According to Botello, she didn't move into the driver's seat of the car until after the crash which is when she was confronted by police. Her acquaintance was charged with public intoxication.

The 3-year-old monkey, Jorgie Boy, was taken into custody by Irving Animal Control due to the fact that owning exotic animals is prohibited there. The crash may have been the best thing to happen to Jorgie Boy because once under the care of Animal Control it was determined that the monkey was suffering from rickets. Rickets is a bone disease caused by poor nutrition. He also had tiny bone fractures and elevated liver and pancreatic levels.

Jorgie Boy was released to the Funky Monkey Ranch which is a wildlife sanctuary near Fort Worth. Dwan Johns, the owner of the sanctuary, confirmed that Jorgie Boy would not be returning to Botello since she had been keeping him illegally in Irving.

Brandi Botello has an Instagram following of 43,000 accounts. She has begun posting the hashtag #FreeJorgieBoy pleading for the monkeys return and expressing her love for the animal. Let's hope for everyone's sake that it does not happen.