The 12-year-old son of the former family YouTuber Ruby Franke told investigators that her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, used ropes to tie him down, causing wounds that had “cayenne pepper and honey” smeared into them, according to newly released police records. The boy was able to escape Hildebrandt’s home and run to a neighbor for help on Aug. 30, leading to both her and Franke’s arrests. The women have since been charged with six felony counts each of aggravated child abuse. A search warrant released Wednesday states that the boy appeared “emaciated” and “abnormally thin and weak” when police arrived on the scene. “The victim informed officers that ‘Jodi’ put the ropes on their ankles and wrists and that ‘they’ used cayenne pepper and honey to dress the wounds,” the Santa Clara-Ivins Police Department warrant reads. In a subsequent search of Hildebrandt’s home, officers found ropes, handcuffs, and bowls of “a paste” of pepper and honey. They also found Franke’s 10-year-old daughter, who appeared “reluctant to speak to officers,” the warrant says. The four youngest of Franke’s six children have since been placed in the custody of child protective services, according to court records.
