A couple in Southern California is facing multiple felony charges after having allegedly left a wake of destruction in their path by intentionally causing car accidents that they posted on YouTube and collecting insurance money. Authorities were tipped off after finding their YouTube channel.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department became aware of the channel after a tip led them to it. It featured 162 videos of vehicle collisions, attempted collisions, road rage incidents, and other content, the California Department of Insurance claims.
The investigation linked the “BLU3 GHO57” channel to Christopher Phelps, 40, and his wife Kimberley Phelps, 40, of Yucaipa, California. It has since been taken down, but investigators say that the channel featured 23 collisions that were linked to 17 insurance claims filed by Christopher.
The channel also featured 42 videos of road rage incidents and attempted collisions, which investigators say appeared to be intentional acts. That didn’t stop Christopher Phelps from accusing others of attempting to play the victim.
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Jeremy Perales is one of the people who was involved in an accident featured on the BLU3 GHO57 YouTube channel. He claims that in April 2022, he was driving normally when the car ahead, driven by Christopher Phelps, started slowing down and came to a stop for no reason. Perales took evasive action and steered into the opposing lane, at which time, he claims, Phelps drove into him.
“He knows what he’s doing, and he knows how to not be at fault for them,” Perales told KTLA News. But, because he drove over the double yellow line, his insurance said he was mostly at fault, not Phelps.
In a video posted to the BLU3 GHO57 YouTube channel, and shared by KTLA, Christopher Phelps can be seen discussing the incident, and accusing Perales of the crime he has now been arrested over. “To think, to be able to do this to a person and set them up for an accident?” he said.
The incidents covered by the channel date back to July 2020. Perhaps worst of all, Phelps’ child can also be seen in the vehicle with the couple in multiple incidents, according to investigators.
“Allegedly there was a child involved, their child involved in the car, as well as I’m sure there were victims with children,” said Jacquelyn Rodriguez with the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.
As a result, both Christopher and Kimberley Phelps face felony charges of child endangerment and insurance fraud. Christopher is also being charged with assault with a deadly weapon, and both have pleaded not guilty. He is being held on $500,000 bail, while her bail was reduced to $170,000.