A California couple, Christopher and Kimberly Phelps, has been arrested and criminally charged.
The pair has been charged with insurance fraud, assault with a deadly weapon, and child endangerment after allegedly causing multiple car crashes intentionally and uploading videos of the incidents on YouTube. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department discovered over 160 dashcam videos on the couple’s YouTube channel, reportedly showcasing road rage incidents and deliberate traffic collisions.
Investigators have linked at least 23 documented collisions by Christopher Phelps to a minimum of 17 insurance claims, according to the California Department of Insurance. The couple also faces child endangerment charges, as some videos depict Christopher’s child in the vehicle during the purportedly intentional crashes and road rage incidents.
The YouTube channel, under the name “BLU3 GHO57,” was used to post the videos. The Sheriff’s Department contacted the state Department of Insurance after discovering a suspicious crash involving Christopher Phelps, in which he appeared to stop suddenly without reason, causing a truck with a trailer to rear-end his car in the Yucaipa, California area. The video footage was uploaded to YouTube shortly after the incident.
Christopher Phelps, 40, and his 40-year-old wife Kimberly Phelps were both arrested on Wednesday. They are being held on $500,000 bail.
Detectives suspect that there may be additional victims. The detectives encourage them to contact the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office with any relevant information to the case.