10 August 2001

Grandma hiding child

Gordon Clark
The Province

Ric Ernst, The Province Marlon Amaya, 27, is waiting for the safe return of his son, whom he last saw in January 2000.

(Vilma) Alvizuris

Police are searching for a financial-aid worker with the Children and Family Development Ministry who has run off with her grandson in contempt of a court order.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Vilma Alvizuris, 47, who police believe is in hiding somewhere in the Lower Mainland with five-year-old Andrew Josiah Jacombe.

Her daughter, Vilma Jeanette Jacombe, 26, Andrew's mom, is being held in custody for contempt by a New Westminster provincial court judge for refusing to produce the child as ordered.

Andrew's desperate father, Marlon Amaya, 27, was given full custody of the boy last August in Surrey family court after Jacombe, his former common- law wife, stopped letting him see Andrew even though he paid child support and regularly saw the boy after their breakup. The couple split when Andrew was three months old.

Amaya hasn't seen his son since January 2000.

"It drives me crazy," said Amaya, who works at Surrey Wire. "I was always involved in his life.

"When you go to sleep you start thinking and the first thing that comes to mind is memories of being with him.

"All that matters to me is my son," he said.

Burnaby RCMP issued a public appeal for help in finding the boy, whom they believe is being hidden within the Lower Mainland's Guatemalan community.

"We think the Guatemalan community" is helping to hide the child, said Const. Phil Reid.

Reid said Alvizuris and her daughter are only making things worse for themselves by ignoring the courts.

"It is not going to go away until they come to court," he said. "Dad hasn't seen his son for quite some time. That all has to be sorted out." Amaya said Alvizuris worked as a financial-aid worker in the Steveston office. He's been told she's on a sick leave but police were unable to track her down.

The worried father said his ex stopped letting him see Andrew after he said he was going to get a formal custody order. He decided to seek the order after the mother took the boy to Mexico without telling him.

Soon after, she moved out of the apartment she'd been staying in with Andrew and disappeared without telling Amaya where the boy was. Anyone with information on Andrew's whereabouts is asked to call Burnaby RCMP 294-7922 or CrimeStoppers, 1-888-222-TIPS.