A YouTuber known for family vlogs was arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts of second-degree felony aggravated child abuse after a child allegedly sought help by climbing out of a window.
Ruby Franke, a mother who ran the “8 Passengers” YouTube channel, was arrested after a child allegedly escaped an Ivins, Utah, home at around 10:50 a.m. and went to a neighbor’s house for help. The child knocked on the unidentified neighbor’s door asking for food and water with wrists and ankles wrapped in duct tape, FOX13 reported, citing arrest documents. The neighbor then called the police.
“The calling party stated the juvenile appeared to be emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape around the extremities,” local authorities said, according to the outlet.
The child was taken to the hospital for treatment before officers found a second malnourished child in the same home, FOX13 reported. (RELATED: Mom Charged With Murder After Allegedly Strapping Toddler Baby To Booster Seat For 15 Hours)
Franke was seen in a YouTube video days before authorities discovered the alleged abuse, further incriminating her for “being present in the home and having knowledge of the abuse, malnourishment and neglect,” the documents say, according to the outlet.
Jodi Hildebrandt, a family friend who works with a parent counseling service called “ConneXions,” owned the house the child fled from, FOX13 reported. Hildebrandt was also arrested in connection with the incident.
Shari, the 20-year-old estranged daughter of Ruby Franke, posted an image on her Instagram story showing police outside of a neighborhood home, according to Page Six. She captioned the image “finally.” Instagram stories self-delete after 24 hours unless saved by the owner.
any 8 passengers viewers or family vlogger watchers wanna explain shari franke’s story??? did the crazy mom finally get arrested ???? pic.twitter.com/DsbpbK9oYQ
— jae (@good4tom) August 31, 2023
“Today has been a big day,” Shari wrote in another Instagram story slide. “Me and my family are so glad justice is being served. We’ve been trying to tell police and CPS [Child Protective Services] for years about this, and so glad they finally decided to step up.”
Four children were placed in custody of the Department of Child and Family Services, a statement from the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department said.