Sam and Colby are two popular YouTubers who are known for exploring haunted and abandoned places. They have over 11 million subscribers on their joint channel, Sam and Colby, and over one million subscribers each on their individual channels, Sam Golbach and Colby Brock. They also have a loyal fan base on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter.
However, on January 16, 2019, the duo got into trouble with the law when they were arrested for trespassing on a construction site near the Lee Elementary School of Technology in Tampa, Florida. They were accompanied by another YouTuber, Ricky Ireland, from the Ireland Boys channel. The three of them were spotted by a neighbor who called the police and reported their suspicious activity.
According to the police reports, Sam and Colby were charged with trespassing without permission, which is a misdemeanor offense in Florida. Colby also faced two additional charges of unauthorized use or possession of a driver's license, which is a felony offense. The three of them were taken to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and booked. Their mugshots were released online and soon went viral on Twitter.
The news of their arrest shocked and worried their fans, who started a hashtag
#FreeSamAndColby to show their support and demand their release.
Some fans even tried to call the police station where they were held, but this was discouraged by other fans who warned that it could make the situation worse. A petition was also launched on Change.org to free the YouTubers, which gathered over 20,000 signatures.
The next day, on January 17, 2019, Sam and Colby were released on bail. Sam's bond was set at $2,000, while Colby's bond was set at $6,000. Ricky was also released on the same day. The three of them posted tweets to reassure their fans that they were safe and okay, and to apologize for any worry they caused. They also thanked their fans for their love and support.
Sam and Colby later explained the reason behind their arrest in a video titled "Reacting to Memes of Our Arrest" , which was uploaded on April 5, 2019. They said that they were filming a video for their channel, and they decided to explore an abandoned school building that they found online. They said that they did not know that the building was a construction site, and that they did not see any signs or fences that indicated that it was off-limits. They also said that they did not damage or vandalize anything, and that they were respectful of the property.
They also revealed that they spent about 14 hours in jail, and that they had a hard time coping with the experience. They said that they were scared, nervous, and stressed, and that they did not know what was going to happen to them. They said that they were separated from each other, and that they had to share a cell with other inmates. They also said that they had to wear orange jumpsuits, and that they were fingerprinted and photographed.
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