West Newton couple continue battling legal hurdles to regain custody of infant daughter

A West Newton couple was back in court Monday taking another legal step they hope will reunite them with their infant daughter, Cali, who was removed from their custody almost two months ago.

Tiffany Aquilina, 37, and her husband, Robert, 38, waived their scheduled preliminary hearing on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment filed Feb. 8 by West Newton police.

“The Aquilinas contend this was all the result of a misunderstanding. We believe the Aquilinas are absolutely well-equipped to raise a child in a healthy home environment,” said attorney Christopher P. Thomas of Pittsburgh, who is representing the father.

“I haven’t been able to hold my daughter, Cali, in my arms since she was 1 week old. It’s just not right,” Tiffany Aquilina said before deferring comment to her attorney, Devin O’Leary, also of Pittsburgh.

“We’ve complied with everything they’ve asked us to do,” Robert Aquilina added.

The county children’s bureau determined the complaint lodged against the Aquilinas that dealt with the parents exposing their daughter to illicit drug use was “unfounded,” O’Leary said.

According to case documents provided to the Tribune-Review, a notification of the children’s bureau report will remain in its files for one year and will be expunged within 120 days of the one-year anniversary.

“We really can’t comment any further at this point because of the ongoing legal discussions. But, again, our position remains this was all the result of a misunderstanding. And we’re hoping to have it all worked out to everyone’s best interest that enable the child to be reunited with the parents,” O’Leary said.

According to the complaint, the Aquilinas were arrested after police received a report that the couples’ then one-week-old daughter was endangered because they refused to take her for treatment at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh for reportedly being underweight and having a temperature that was “low for a newborn child.” Police reports also said Tiffany had tested positive for potentially illicit drugs.

The Aquilinas were arrested after the doctor’s office notified children’s services officials that the father was instead taking their infant to relatives in Ohio.

Tiffany Aquilina said she was taking medicines prescribed by her physician, for which she provided the Tribune-Review copies of the prescriptions.

Assistant Westmoreland County District Attorney Greg DeFloria, who is handling negotiations on the criminal cases, declined to comment.

Tiffany Aquilina has no prior criminal record. Robert Aquilina has recent arrests for possession of drug paraphernalia and retail theft, according to online dockets.

The Aquilinas are free on $50,000 bond. Robert Aquilina said he’s had to drain his life savings in order to pay private attorneys to sort through the family’s current legal maze.

Tiffany Aquilina said she hopes the matter is soon resolved so “I can hold my girl again.”

The infant was placed in the custody of a relative since the arrest, but Tiffany Aquilina said because of legal constraints, “we’ve only been able to see her through video chats on social media.”