Sunday, March 30, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
"THIS deserves a full investigation."
Sandy and Kyle Ambrose have been waiting to hear those words for one long year.
On Thursday, thanks to state Sen. Bill O'Donnell, R-Las Vegas, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard about the Ambroses' emotional and legal battle to prevent another couple from taking custody of their teenage daughter.
It was the first time an official, public body has listened to them.
While they're grateful, they can't forget the hell they were put through. Not to mention the thousands of dollars in legal fees.
But this upper middle class couple was willing to give all they had to get their daughter, Tiffany, back.
An impressionable 16-year-old who rebelled against family rules she thought were strict, Tiffany became caught up in an almost-cult-like web woven by the father of her boyfriend, Sal Cincotta.
And as they desperately tried to pull her from that negative force, Sandy and Kyle Ambrose could only stand by and watch what they say was a Family Court slam-dunk.
By now, theirs is a familiar saga, which was first published in the Las Vegas SUN on Sept. 1 and updated last Sunday.
* How could a teenager decide she wanted to live with her boyfriend's parents and get the blessing of Family Court without her parents' knowledge?
Because it's the law.
* Why weren't the Cincottas investigated by Family Court?
Good question.
* Why did Kirby Burgess, director of the Clark County Youth and Family Services, vouch for the Cincottas if -- as he says now -- he didn't know them well?
He says investigators asked him about the case and he gave his opinion because his daughter was friends with the Cincottas' daughter. But that was it. He says he exerted no influence.
* If Burgess exerted no influence, why was he quoted in the Family and Mediation Assessment Center report?
Answer unknown.
* Why wasn't Tiffany's initial beating allegation against her father -- which he says is untrue and she now says is untrue -- ever investigated by FMAC?
Another good question.
* Why didn't Family Court look at any of the material the Ambroses submitted questioning the fitness of Sal Cincotta to be a guardian?
Answer unknown.
* Why was permanent guardianship awarded without an investigation, without a home visit, without talking to anyone other than the Cincottas, Ambroses and Burgess?
That's the penultimate question which cries out for an answer.
O'Donnell is seeking to change the guardianship laws so there is immediate parental notification before a guardianship decision is made.
But that's where it gets tricky.
The safety and well-being of the child must be the overriding consideration. We've seen tragic cases where a child is left in an abusive home and ends up dead.
If there is solid reason to believe a child is in danger, remove him from the home. But for as brief a time as possible. Don't let it drag on for months. And investigate.
In guardianship cases, INVESTIGATE. Why does the teenager want out of the home? What are the motives of the prospective guardians? Hey, it's not out of the realm of possibility that a pimp or pedophile has lured the youth into an attractive -- but dangerous -- lair.
There were too many red flags in the Ambrose case. Too many to be ignored -- which lends credence to the belief that the case was "greased through."
It's not out of the realm of possibility that Kirby Burgess was just what he said -- an acquaintance who put in his two cents -- because he vaguely knew the Cincottas. Maybe he, too, as others in the case was duped by Sal Cincotta. And maybe Sal's claim that Burgess would "take care of" everything was just idle bragging.
But that's a scary thought. Can you imagine losing your child because an "acquaintance" vouches for the other side and you can't even have a friend testify for yours?
The Senate Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed the FMAC report on the case. Those reports are confidential and can only be read by the litigants in their attorneys' office. They can't even take a copy home.
O'Donnell says the report will show Burgess' role.
It also should have a lot of holes in it -- like the lack of a background check on the Cincottas.
Some senators also believe there should be an investigation of the case by the state attorney general's office or the Clark County district attorney's office.
Finally, maybe there will be a real investigation.
In the meantime, Tiffany and her parents are working hard at getting their lives connected again.
They lost a precious year.
Hopefully, though, they've found emotional strength in their resolve to be a family and tackle whatever problems they may encounter.
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