[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
The 911 call that led to the arrest of mommy influencer Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt on child abuse charges has been released. And you guys, the contents of this are chilling.
In audio obtained by Fox News on Saturday, the 41-year-old social media personality’s neighbor reached out to the police at around 10:50 p.m. on August 30 after a scared 12-year-old boy showed up at his doorstep in Santa Clara, Utah, begging for help. The worried man told the emergency dispatcher:
“I just had a 12-year-old boy show up here at my front door asking for help, and he said he just came from a neighbor’s house, and we know there’s been problems at this neighbor’s house. He’s emaciated. He’s got tape around his legs. He’s hungry, and he’s thirsty. He asked us to call the police. So he’s very afraid. I don’t think he needs an ambulance. I’ll let the cops decide that, but his ankles are taped up, and he won’t tell us why. … There’s sores around him.”
Related: Police Were Contacted Multiple Times About Ruby Franke’s Family Over The Years
The neighbor then seems to break down in tears before sharing these devastating details:
“I think there’s a good chance he’s been … OK, this boy has been, this kid has obviously been, I think he’s been detained. He’s obviously covered in wounds. … He says what happened to him was his fault. She might come looking for him here soon. … We need the cops here as soon as possible. She’s a bad lady, we didn’t realize how bad.”
At one point, the child identified his mom as Ruby. He also revealed that he had come from Jodi’s home and neither of his parents was nearby, but there were other kids inside the house. However, those children were not tied up. You can hear the audio from the 911 call (below):
Just heartbreaking…
Following the call, police arrived at the scene and determined the boy’s condition was “so severe” that he needed to get treatment at the hospital. They then discovered Ruby’s 10-year-old daughter “in similar physical condition of malnourishment” and took her to the hospital. From there, four other kids were placed in the care of the Department of Child and Family Services. Clearly, law enforcement felt they were in danger as well.
Ruby and Jodi were arrested and charged with six counts of felony child abuse. They are scheduled to appear in court again on September 21 for a bond hearing. Reactions to the latest in the case? Let us know in the comments below.
If you have sincere cause to suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org.
[Image via Moms of Truth/Instagram, 8 Passengers/Facebook]
