Batarti Gabbard, the older brother of former U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, is facing criminal charges after police alleged he attempted to lure several children to his hotel room in Hawaii. According to police, Gabbard approached a group of children in Honolulu. He offered them gum and money to accompany him to his room.
Police allege Batarti Gabbard tried to entice children to a Waikīkī hotel room
According to the Honolulu Police Department, the incident occurred around 2 p.m. on July 12 at the pool area of Batarti Gabbard’s Waikīkī hotel. On July 17, days after the alleged incident, Gabbard, 55, was arrested and charged with second-degree custodial interference.
A Honolulu Police Department news release stated: “At about 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 12, 2026, an unknown man allegedly approached several children, including a 9-year-old boy, and offered them gum and money to accompany him to his hotel room. He also asked the children for their names and wrote them in a notebook. The children refused, and the man walked away.”
Police said a 42-year-old woman witnessed the incident and alerted authorities.
The family of Batarti Gabbard, who also goes by the Hindu name Bhakti Gabbard, also addressed the allegations. His father, Hawaii State Sen. Mike Gabbard, 78, and mother, Carol Gabbard, said in a written statement that their son has a history of mental health struggles but had been “doing well for the last 10 years” until recently.
“Bhakti has had mental issues in the past but has been doing well for the last 10 years,” the couple said.
“His wife kicked him out of the house, so he’s been sleeping on the streets. He gave away his car to a homeless person; lost his ID and phone and has no money. He’s renamed himself Batarti, and also Jim Morrison Jr., as he’s having delusions of being a rock star,” they continued.
The parents also said Gabbard had begun “acting erratically” in the days leading up to the incident. They added that he had been sleeping on the streets after being asked to leave his home.
According to the family’s statement, relatives later took him to Queen’s Hospital emergency room for a psychological evaluation after the alleged incident. Then they admitted him for further psychiatric care.
According to reports, Gabbard’s wife also filed for a protective order the day before the Waikīkī incident. She cited safety concerns and alleged that he had shown “erratic, impulsive and bizarre behavior.”
Tulsi Gabbard stepped down from her role as Director of National Intelligence earlier this year. She has not publicly commented on her brother’s case.
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