Rockland County – Concerns over the safety of three Hispanic siblings have ignited a New York State investigation following a complaint by journalist Richard Luthmann.
On Friday, Luthmann emailed Rockland County Executive Ed Day, Sheriff Louis Falco III, and Rockland County Children’s Services to describe the plight of siblings Mia, 16, Matthew, 16, and Sawyer, 13, who fled to Rockland County for a safe haven from their father, Christopher Ambrose of Connecticut.
Matthew, 16, Saweyer, 13, and Mia, 16.
Luthmann wrote to Rockland officials, “I wanted to alert you to a serious situation involving three children currently residing in Congers, New York, whom I believe are at risk from their psychopath predator father. THE SITUATION REQUIRES IMMEDIATE CPS INVESTIGATION.”
Addressing the matter within hours, Matthew Grieco, a Caseworker for Adolescent Services at the Rockland County Department of Social Services, confirmed New York’s Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR) has registered the complaint.
As of Saturday, October 7, the matter “is currently under review.”
Grecio advised Luthmann that the SCR registry sparks the Rockland County Department of Social Services investigation. Greico added that the “concerning” nature of the allegations seemingly assures a prompt and thorough investigation by state and county authorities to protect these vulnerable teens.
Richard Luthmann
Luthmann has been covering the Ambrose case in CT Family Court for about a year and alleges severe misconduct by the teens’ father, Christopher Ambrose, a former Hollywood writer.
Through his email, Luthmann painted a haunting picture of the Ambrose siblings and their repeated flights from their father.
The stakes heightened with Luthmann’s claim, where he stated in bold, “CHRISTOPHER AMBROSE MOLESTS HIS CHILDREN.”
Chris Ambrose
Luthmann claims Ambros crossed state lines multiple times, attempting to bring his fleeing teens back to Connecticut. He draws a grim parallel, comparing the children’s desperate escape to “runaway slaves in antebellum times.”
In an incident last month, Ambrose brought the Mount Pleasant Police to the home of a family friend, where the teens sought refuge, to try to compel them back to his Madison, CT home.
Mia tells MT Pleasant Police she will not return to her father.
In a recording by the teens, Mia makes distressing revelations of her father’s alleged sexual abuse, telling police she’d “rather be anywhere but there” with her father, reinforcing allegations of her father’s abuse.
Sawyer, 13, reported to Mt. Pleasant Police that his father sexually molested him.
FR broke a story last year detailing a report from the Multi-Disciplinary Task Force at Yale New Haven Hospital containing details of potential sexual abuse.
Dr. Bandy X. Lee, a reputed psychiatrist, revealed recordings she’d obtained that allegedly contained threats from Ambrose to Mia, using sexually explicit language to control and intimidate her for seeking help.
The siblings now live in the hamlet of Congers in Clarkstown, Rockland County, with their mother’s maternal cousin – a respected businessman, wrestling coach, and martial arts instructor. The cousin reportedly is willing to provide a secure home environment.
Despite this potential safety net, Ambrose aggressively tried to regain custody, suggesting the siblings be placed in “brutal juvenile detention centers” rather than the haven of their maternal relative.
The teens’ mother, Karen Riordan, remains restrained from contacting them, courtesy of a one-year restraining order passed by CT Superior Court Judge Thomas J. O’Neill – a troubling development, as Judge O’Neill made this decision without hearing testimony from the teens or any other expert or fact witnesses concerning the alleged abuse.
As Rockland County awaits further developments, one thing remains evident: the fight for the safety and justice of the Ambrose siblings is far from over.
But now, a needed investigation where the voices of three teens, long silenced, frightened, and on the run from their father, may invite law enforcement to finally hear their allegations – something that Ambrose in Connecticut, with his wealth and connections, has successfully silenced.
FR awaits further word on the progress of the Rockland County investigation.
