APOLOGY: Mom sorry for son's cow theft

Dear Mr. and Mrs Gagnon: My name is Barbara Hiza and the reason I am writing this letter to you is because I feel I owe you an apology for what my son Brandon has done. I never raised my son to be a thief, but unfortunately that’s what he has turned out to be and I am very embarrassed by my son’s recent actions and even more sorry that you have been the latest victims of my son’s criminal behavior. I am not asking for you drop the charges against my son; in fact I am asking you to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law. I am a firm believer in tough love and if this is the only way to make my son understand that what he did was wrong, that he can’t be breaking the law and that he needs to grow up and act like a responsible member of society, then I feel he needs some serious jail/prison time.

I am also asking that you request the courts to make Brandon pay a restitution fee for any damages that he may have caused to your cow. I personally do not feel that what Brandon has done is funny by any means. He is 23 years old and he really needs to grow up and stop acting like a teenager and pulling these kinds of illegal pranks.

I would like to give you a little bit of info on Brandon. He is a runner and what I mean by that is this: If the judge sets a bond and Brandon is able to post that bond, he will run to try avoiding his legal obligations because he has done this twice before. Both times he ran to Everett, Wash., but both times he was located and extradited back to Idaho but his reason for going to Washington is no longer there and she wants nothing to do with Brandon even though they have a child together.

I realize that this may be kind of odd, receiving a letter from the mother of the person who committed a crime against you, but I just want you to know that I hate what my son has done in his life, but I do love him and if this is the only way to get him to see the error of his ways and start being responsible for his actions then I will do whatever I feel is necessary to guide him — hopefully in the right direction.

BARBARA M. HIZA

Laughlin, Nev.