About Amberly's Place
With permission of her family, Amberly's Place honors the memory of Amberly Ann Mendoza, a child victim of an unsolved homicide in Yuma.
Amberly Mendoza was a 9 year old child who was sexually assaulted and murdered in March of 1996. Lying asleep, with the window partly open for fresh air, Amberly was attacked when someone came through the bedroom window. Amberly's mother went to wake her up the next day for breakfast, only to find her daughter had been the victim of a horrible crime. She immediately called 911 and police were dispatched.
Sadly, there was not a crisis response advocacy team, as we now have at Amberly's Place. The family had to deal with the additional stress of the investigation on their own, without help. No one was their to guide them and advise them of their victim rights. Three years after Amberly was murdered, her mother was approached about using her name for the center.
The Yuma Family Advocacy Coalition established Amberly's Place in 1999 to provide an innovative, multi-disciplinary approach to the investigation, prosecution and intervention of cases of child sexual and/or physical abuse, domestic violence, elder abuse and sexual assault. Amberly's Place is open to all law enforcement agencies operating within Yuma County.
Amberly's Place brings together law enforcement officers, prosecuting attorneys, mental health and social service providers, victim advocates, protective services, and on-site medical professionals. Amberly's Place offers immediate crisis intervention, on-site medical attention, and one-time video interviews to avoid re-traumatization of victims, while providing a safe and nurturing environment. By locating those involved in the investigation and treatment of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse under one roof, the team members will be able to accomplish in hours what ordinarily takes several weeks.
At Amberly's Place, the victims tell what has happened to them only one time, to one person.
Because Amberly's Place is an extremely victim-friendly and safe environment, victims are less likely to be re-traumatized by the interview and examination process. By providing a relaxed, non-institutional setting, Amberly's Place supports victims, helping them to more easily provide complete information with which to aid the investigation and prosecution of their cases.
Amberly's Place will also assist victims and their families with the healing process. Victim Advocates will provide immediate crisis intervention and will be available to help victims obtain Orders of Protections, provide court escort, and to explain the criminal justice process. Professionals located at Amberly's Place are able to assist with accessing other community resources for emergency food, clothing and housing. Complete wrap-around services are offered.
It is the belief of the Yuma Family Advocacy Coalition that the creation of Amberly's Place in Yuma enhances the investigation and prosecution of batterers and perpetrators. We believe that our community will see a significant increase in criminal prosecution and a higher incident of conviction in crimes against children, domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse. This multi-disciplinary team approach has already proven effective in other Arizona communities. The team approach balances the support of victims with offender accountability.