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The eldest child of state Sen. Mike Gabbard was arrested this week in Las Vegas on suspicion of battery, according to law enforcement officials, the latest in a string of arrests over the past few months.
Bhakti Gabbard, 42, was booked into the Las Vegas Detention Center on Wednesday for battery, a law enforcement official confirmed.
Websites that track arrest records also indicate that Gabbard has been arrested several times in Clark County, Nev., over the past several months on charges that include drug possession.
"As parents, we’re deeply pained and heartbroken to see our eldest son suffer like this," Sen. Gabbard said in an email Thursday. "We love him deeply, and we continue encouraging him to seek the medical treatment he needs."
Gabbard said he talked with his son Thursday.
"We spoke with him today and we’re trying to help him," he said.
Gabbard, a Democrat who represents West Oahu in the state Senate, has five children, including U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii.