Robber will make amends

Dear Mountain Home:

My name is Dominique Miguel Ramirez. I am a 19-year-old native resident of Mountain Home who is currently living at the North Idaho Correctional Institution.

On Jan. 28, 2008, as many will recall, I committed a felony related to Airman Pawn and the local liquor store. Though my intention in the ordeal was to get help for my own addictions, the way that I chose to go about it was much more harmful than I intended. I've now fully realized how wrong this action was.

I am writing this letter as an attempt to make a public apology for the damage that I have caused within our community. This goes out to those who were directly affected, and any who have followed my influence prior to the printing date of this letter. This is an open composition of my heart and not of selfish intention.

Those directly affected include two employees of Airman Pawn, two employees of the liquor store, the people who were at either of these locations during my crime, managers and owners of the businesses, the officers involved, The Carpet Shoppe as a whole, and my family.

To all of you, I am deeply indebted and if you will ask of me anything within my capabilities, I will be glad to help.

The indirectly affected include the citizens and society of Mountain Home, state taxpayers, law-enforcement officials within Mountain Home, and many others. To you I will repay my debt in as many ways as I can.

I intend to immediately begin helping teenagers and substance abusers who can benefit from recovery education and support. As for all others, I expect my contributions will be known to you through my works in our community and support of society over the next few years.

Finally and most importantly are those who have been influenced by me throughout the course of my past. I once lived in a wrongful way and advocated negative principles, but now I am on a good path and am eager to spread a positive message to everyone I encounter. I plead with those who have known me to follow what I do rather than what I've done.

I expect to be re-introduced to my hometown this winter. I am excited to see all who will see me and to tell my story.

May God bless you all.

Very humbly,

Dom Ramirez