Neighbors of Ruby Franke, the woman behind the 8 Passengers family YouTube channel who was arrested this week on child abuse charges, said several people in the close-knit community were concerned when police officers arrived at Franke’s home in Springville, Utah on Wednesday.
Franke was sometimes criticized on social media for how she treated her children in YouTube videos. The two neighbors, who spoke to NBC News on the condition of anonymity citing concerns for their safety, said that they and others who lived near the family had long been worried for the safety of the children, and that neighbors in the community had previously alerted the Utah Division of Child and Family Services.
“Everyone is just breathing a collective sigh of relief because we thought they were going to come out of that house with body bags,” a male neighbor said.
In a video shared with NBC News, law enforcement officers are seen surrounding the home with guns drawn. In a second video, at least seven police vehicles are visible lining the street. NBC News saw a photo, provided by a neighbor, of the home’s front door showing what appears to be a hole in it.
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Neighbors said Franke would insert herself into other neighbor’s lives, with one neighbor citing an instance in which Franke gave a sermon-like lecture over what she called “inappropriate” posters of women posing in shorts that were displayed in a garage. Franke kicked her husband, Kevin, out of the home last year, a source with knowledge of their relationship said.
