Ruby Franke (YouTube screenshot)
A 41-year-old mother and famous vlogger in Utah was arrested this week for allegedly tying up two of her children with duct tape, then starving and abusing them to such an extent that one of them climbed from an open window and ran to a neighbor’s house to ask for food and water. Ruby Franke, known for her “8 Passengers” YouTube channel, was taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with two counts of second-degree felony aggravated child abuse, authorities announced.
Jodi Hilderbrandt, who is Franke’s business partner, was also arrested in connection with the children’s treatment. Hilderbrandt is the founder of “Connexions Classroom,” a self-help class aimed at creating “joy in your life and your relationships,” and was the owner of the home where the two girls were allegedly being abused.
According to a press release from the Santa Clara-Irvine Public Safety Department, police at about 10:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30 responded to a call at a residence located in Ivins, Utah regarding a possible case of child abuse. The calling party told the dispatcher that a juvenile had shown up at their door asking for food and water. The caller said that the child “appeared to be emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape around the extremities,” police wrote in the release.
The child who escaped from the home was identified as a 12-year-old girl with “deep lacerations” due to being tied up with rope and duct tape, Salt Lake City CBS affiliate KUTV reported.
Police said the 12-year-old’s condition was “so severe” that Santa Clara-Irvine Emergency Medical Services personnel were dispatched to the scene and examined the child before transporting them to St. George Regional Hospital for medical treatment.
Investigators then learned that there was a 10-year-old girl who was also believed to be “in a similar condition” still at the home from which the 12-year-old escaped.
“Officers arrived at the home and searched the residence, locating another juvenile in a similar physical condition of malnourishment,” the release states. “That juvenile was also transported by EMS to the hospital for treatment.”
The other child found in the home was said to be the 12-year-old girl’s younger sister.
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Investigators obtained a search warrant for the home in connection with the condition of the children. During that search, police said they recovered evidence “consistent with the markings found on the juvenile.”
The Department of Child and Family Services was contacted about the case. DCFS and the Springville Police Department launched a joint effort and the two juvenile victims as well as two other children were removed from Franke’s custody and placed in the custody of DCFS.
The two children who were not in Hildebrandt’s home have not yet spoken to authorities, KUTV reported.
Jodi Hilderbrandt (YouTube screenshot)
Police said that two days prior to her arrest, Franke posted a video to YouTube that was filmed in Hilderbrandt’s basement while Hilderbrandt was in the home, meaning the latter woman was aware of the conditions under which the children were living.
Franke and Hilderbrandt were transported to and booked into the Washington County Jail. They are both currently being held without bond.
Franke’s “8 Passengers” YouTube channel, which had more than 2 million followers at one time, featured videos of her, her husband Kevin Franke, and their six children. However, the channel was taken down earlier this year amid allegations of child abuse and other disturbing behavior.
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